Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) |
Liver, germ cell cell cancer of ovaries or testes |
Also elevated during pregnancy |
Help diagnose, monitor treatment, and determine recurrence |
Blood |
CA 15-3 (Cancer antigen 15-3) |
Breast cancer and others, including lung, ovarian |
Also elevated in benign breast conditions |
Stage disease, monitor treatment, and determine recurrence |
Blood |
CA 19-9 (Cancer antigen 19-9) |
Pancreatic, sometimes bowel and bile ducts |
Also elevated in pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease |
Stage disease, monitor treatment, and determine recurrence |
Blood |
CA-125 (Cancer antigen 125) |
Ovarian |
Also elevated with endometriosis, some other diseases and conditions; not recommended as a general screen |
Help diagnose, monitor treatment, and determine recurrence |
Blood |
Calcitonin |
Medullary thyroid carcinoma |
Also elevated in pernicious anaemia and thyroiditis |
Help diagnose, monitor treatment, and determine recurrence |
Blood |
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) |
bowel, lung,
breast, thyroid, pancreatic, liver, cervix, and bladder |
Elevated in other conditions such as hepatitis, COPD, colitis, pancreatitis, and in cigarette smokers |
Monitor treatment and determine recurrence |
Blood |
hCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) |
Testicular and trophoblastic disease |
Elevated in pregnancy, testicular failure |
Help diagnose, monitor treatment, and determine recurrence |
Blood, urine |
Her-2/neu |
Breast |
that is present in multiple copies in 20-30% of invasive breast cancer |
Determine prognosis and guide treatment |
Tissue |
Monoclonal immunoglobulins |
Multiple myeloma and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia |
Overproduction of an immunoglobulin or antibody, usually detected by protein electrophoresis |
Help diagnose,
monitor treatment, and determine recurrence |
Blood, urine |
Oestrogen receptors |
Breast |
Increased in hormone-dependent cancer |
Determine prognosis and guide treatment |
Tissue |
Progesterone receptors |
Breast |
Increased in hormone-dependent cancer |
Determine prognosis and guide treatment |
Tissue |
PSA (Prostate specific antigen) |
Prostate |
Elevated in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis and with age |
Screen for and help diagnose, monitor treatment, and determine recurrence |
Blood |
Thyroglobulin |
Thyroid |
Used after thyroid is removed to evaluate treatment |
Determine recurrence |
Blood |
Other Tumor Markers Less Widely Used |
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B2M (Beta-2-microglobulin) |
Multiple myeloma and lymphomas |
Present in many other conditions, including Crohn’s disease and hepatitis. |
Determine prognosis |
Blood |
NSE (Neuron-specific enolase) |
Neuroblastoma, small cell lung cancer |
May be better than CEA for following this particular kind of lung cancer |
Monitor treatment |
Blood |
Soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP) |
Mesothelioma |
Often used in conjunction with imaging tests |
To monitor progression or recurrence |
Blood |