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Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP, α-fetoprotein; also sometimes called alpha-1-fetoprotein, alpha-fetoglobulin, or alpha fetal protein) is a protein [5] [6] that in humans is encoded by the AFP gene. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] The AFP gene is located on the q arm of chromosome 4 (4q13.3). [ 9 ]
Like any elevated tumor marker, elevated AFP by itself is not diagnostic, only suggestive. Tumor markers are used primarily to monitor the result of a treatment (e.g. chemotherapy). If levels of AFP go down after treatment, the tumor is not growing. In the case of babies, after treatment AFP should go down faster than it would normally. A ...
For example, tumor markers like Ki-67 can be used to choose form of treatment or in prognostics but are not useful to give a diagnosis, while other tumor markers have the opposite functionality. Therefore it's important to follow the guidelines of the specific tumor marker. Tumor markers are mainly used in clinical medicine to support a ...
Bilirubin may be used to estimate the excretory function of the liver and coagulation tests and albumin can be used to evaluate the metabolic activity of the liver. [ 6 ] Although example reference ranges are given, these will vary depending on method of analysis used at the administering laboratory, as well as age, gender, ethnicity, and ...
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.
Therefore, the utilization of such techniques for objective tumor response should be restricted to validation purposes in specialized centers. However, such techniques can be useful in confirming complete pathological response when biopsies are obtained. Tumor markers alone cannot be used to assess response.
AFP-L3% is the standard for quantifying the L3 isoform of AFP in serum of high risk chronic liver disease (CLD) patients. Studies have shown that AFP-L3% test results of more than 10% can be indicative of early HCC [ citation needed ] or early nonseminomatous germ cell tumor .
These cells secrete alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which can be detected in tumor tissue, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and, in the rare case of fetal EST, in amniotic fluid. When there is incongruence between biopsy and AFP test results for EST, the result indicating presence of EST dictates treatment. [ 3 ]