Tumor Markers

Question 1

Alkaline phosphatase

Answer 1

Metastases to bone, liver, Paget disease of bone,

seminoma (placental ALP).

Question 2

α-fetoprotein

Answer 2

Normally made by fetus. Hepatocellular
carcinoma, hepatoblastoma, yolk sac
(endodermal sinus) tumor, testicular cancer,
mixed germ cell tumor (co-secreted with
β-hCG).

Question 3

β-hCG

Answer 3

Hydatidiform moles and Choriocarcinomas
(Gestational trophoblastic disease), testicular
cancer

Question 4

CA-15-3/CA-27-29

Answer 4

Breast cancer

Question 5

CA-19-9

Answer 5

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Question 6

CA-125

Answer 6

Ovarian cancer

Question 7

Calcitonin

Answer 7

Medullary thyroid carcinoma

Question 8

CEA

Answer 8

CarcinoEmbryonic Antigen. Very nonspecific
but produced by ∼ 70% of colorectal and
pancreatic cancers; also produced by gastric,
breast, and medullary thyroid carcinomas.

Question 9

PSA

Answer 9

Prostate-specific antigen. Used to follow prostate
adenocarcinoma. Can also be elevated in BPH
and prostatitis. Questionable risk/benefit for
screenin

Question 10

S-100

Answer 10

Neural crest origin (e.g., melanomas, neural
tumors, schwannomas, Langerhans cell
histiocytosis).

Question 11

TRAP

Answer 11

Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase (TRAP).

Hairy cell leukemia—a B-cell neoplasm