What is a cancer marker test?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by MSc Do Thi Hoang Ha - Doctor of Biochemistry, Laboratory Department - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. The doctor has 11 years of experience working in the field of clinical biochemistry.
Cancer has always been one of the leading causes of death in the world. Periodic health screening with cancer markers plays an important role in early screening, contributing to disease detection as well as appropriate treatment orientation. Cancer markers are also an effective tool to help increase the identification of patients with a positive diagnosis of cancer.

1. Overview

1.1. What is cancer? Cancer is a group of diseases that involve disorganized cell division and the ability to invade other tissues by either growing directly into nearby tissue or metastasizing to distant sites. according to the pathological nature or according to the damaged organ. Cancer cells in a tumor (including metastatic cells) all come from a single cell that divides. Thus a cancer can be classified according to the type of cell that started it or by the location of that cell. Example:
Carcinomas usually arise from epithelial cells (in the alimentary canal or digestive glands). Malignant blood diseases such as leukemia (leukemia) and lymphoma (lymphoma) originate in the blood and bone marrow. Connective tissue cancer is a group of cancers that originate in connective tissue, bone, or muscle. Melanoma is caused by a disorder of the pigment cells. Teratoma originates from germ cells.

1.2. Cancer markers Cancer markers are metabolic products produced by cancer cells and other normal cells, especially produced in large quantities in the presence of cancer cells. presence of cancer cells. Many tumor markers are proteins found in body fluids (blood), tissues, or on the surface of tumors. Some other types of cancer markers are derived from enzymes, DNA, histopathology,... Classification of commonly used cancer markers:
Cyfra 21-1 (non-small cell lung cancer) NSE (cancer) small cell lung cancer) CA 72-4 (stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer ..) AFP (primary liver cancer,,testicular cancer,blastoma .. ) CA 19-9 (pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal cancer ..) CEA (Digestive tract cancers, mainly colon cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer ..) , in addition to increased in some other cancers such as thyroid cancer, lung cancer ..) CA 15-3 (breast cancer) CA 125 (Ovarian cancer) PSA (Prostate cancer) Tg and Calcitonin (thyroid cancer) SCC (squamous cell carcinoma, lung cancer ..) Cancer marker has the role of:
Screening, cancer screening. Diagnostic support application. Determine the stage of the disease. Prognosis, assess the possibility of recurrence of some diseases such as breast cancer, prostate cancer ... (cancer markers CEA, β2- Microglobulin, CA 15-3 ..) Determine the effectiveness of treatment. Treatment of some cancers, assessment of response to therapy in patients with confirmed disease. Note: Cancer markers are not the gold standard for diagnosing cancer, but are an important factor in helping to identify the disease when the patient has done other clinical tests (endoscopy, CT scan, etc.) MRI, biopsy...).

2. How is the cancer marker test done?

Some cancers can be screened for early detection by blood tests to find markers, especially should be applied to high-risk subjects and combined with other clinical testing measures. .
CEA levels in the blood often tend to increase in patients with colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, lung, liver, pancreas, stomach, and ovarian cancer. CA 12-5 also appears in the case of patients with ovarian cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer. Patients with primary liver cancer, testicular cancer, or ovarian cancer may also have elevated AFP levels. CA 19-9 may be present in gastric or pancreatic cancer. PSA antigen can be used to screen for prostate cancer. As mentioned, these indicators can appear or go high for a variety of reasons. Therefore, in order for cancer screening to be effective, patients should combine with other diagnostic methods such as CT scan, MRI, endoscopy, ultrasound, biopsy,... based on consultation. and doctor's prescription.

3. When is a cancer marker test false negative?

The cancer marker test index can be affected by the following factors:
Quality of the test sample. Laboratory quality. Appropriate type of cancer marker. When the cancer marker test results are increased or negative, it is still not enough to make an accurate conclusion, the patient should have some more related tests and each test needs to be spaced 2 -3 weeks to get the clearest diagnosis of your health condition.
Early cancer screening is considered a perfect measure in the timely detection and treatment of all types of cancer. Vinmec International General Hospital currently has a high-tech cancer screening and examination package, including genetic testing, imaging, and biomarkers for early tumor detection. A single gene test can assess the risk of 16 common cancers in both men and women (lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer) Bowel cancer , stomach cancer , prostate cancer ,....)

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.