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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 ...
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 ]
Tumor marker Associated tumor types Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) germ cell tumor, hepatocellular carcinoma [9] CA15-3: breast cancer [10] CA27.29: breast cancer [11] CA19-9: Mainly pancreatic cancer, but also colorectal cancer and other types of gastrointestinal cancer. [12] CA-125
In pregnant people AFP levels rise at 14 weeks until 32 weeks, and range between 10 and 150 ng/mL in the middle of gestation. This is why AFP can be used alongside other tests as a tumor marker protein in adults. [12] AFP is a single polypeptide chain with a half-life of 4–5 days.
Usefulness of lens culinaris agglutinin A-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) as a marker of distant metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma. Yamashiki, N., et al., Oncology Reports, 6, 1229–1232, 1999. Relationship between lens culinaris agglutinin reactive alpha-fetoprotein and biological features of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Males with pure embryonal carcinoma tend to have a normal amount of the protein alpha-fetoprotein in the fluid component of their blood. The finding of elevated amounts of alpha-fetoprotein is more suggestive of a mixed germ cell tumour, with the alpha-fetoprotein being released by the yolk sac tumour component. [citation needed]
CEA elevation is known to be affected by multiple factors. It varies inversely with tumor grade; well-differentiated tumors secrete more CEA. CEA is elevated more in tumors with lymph node and distant metastasis than in organ-confined tumors and, thus, varies directly with tumor stage.
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.