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Tumor markers can be molecules that are produced in higher amounts by cancer cells than normal cells, but can also be produced by other cells from a reaction with the cancer. [ 2 ] The markers can't be used to give patients a diagnosis but can be compared with the result of other tests like biopsy or imaging.
This tumor marker can be detected in the blood, saliva, or urine. [17] The possibility of identifying an effective biomarker for early cancer diagnosis has recently been questioned, in light of the high molecular heterogeneity of tumors observed by next-generation sequencing studies.
In medicine, a biomarker is a measurable indicator of the severity or presence of some disease state. It may be defined as a "cellular, biochemical or molecular alteration in cells, tissues or fluids that can be measured and evaluated to indicate normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacological responses to a therapeutic intervention."
CA 15-3, for Carcinoma Antigen 15-3, is a tumor marker for many types of cancer, most notably breast cancer. [1] [2] [3]It is derived from MUC1. [4] CA 15-3 and associated CA 27-29 are different epitopes on the same protein antigen product of the breast cancer-associated MUC1 gene.
CA19-9 can be elevated in many types of gastrointestinal cancer, such as colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. [1] Apart from cancer, elevated levels may occur in pancreatitis, cirrhosis, [1] and diseases of the bile ducts. [1] [3] It can also be elevated in people with obstruction of the bile ducts. [3]
Consequently, CEA is usually present at very low levels in the blood of healthy adults (about 2–4 ng/mL). [2] However, the serum levels are raised in some types of cancer, which means that it can be used as a tumor marker in clinical tests. Serum levels can also be elevated in heavy smokers. [3]
In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues [1] to examine normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention. [2]
The highest levels of acid phosphatase are found in metastasized prostate cancer. Diseases of the bone, such as Paget's disease or hyperparathyroidism, diseases of blood cells, such as sickle-cell disease or multiple myeloma or lysosomal storage diseases, such as Gaucher's disease, will show moderately increased levels.