Have you ever heard the words 'tumor markers'? Maybe you've heard your doctor talk about them, or you've seen them in the newspaper or on television. What exactly are these 'tumor markers'? How do they relate to cancer? You probably have a lot of questions about this. Don't worry, today we'll talk about these seemingly complicated things in a simple way that you can understand.
What are tumor markers? Simply put...
Simply put, a tumor marker is anything in your body that can give us information about cancer. We usually refer to proteins produced by cancer cells as tumor markers. Normal, non-cancerous cells can also make these markers in response to cancer. However, these tumor markers can also refer to changes or patterns in your DNA.
Just like the police look for clues after a crime, doctors use these clues called 'tumor markers' to find information about cancer.
Other names for these are 'cancer markers' or 'biomarkers'. However, in everyday speech, we most commonly use the name 'tumor markers'.
What can we learn from tumor markers?
You may be wondering, "Okay, what can doctors learn from these?" Tumor markers are very important because, when combined with other tests, they can help doctors diagnose and treat certain types of cancer. Here's what they can do:
- It can show whether certain types of cancer are present.
- They help your doctor plan your treatment. Specifically, they help you decide what type of treatment is best for you.
- It is possible to test whether the current cancer treatment is successful or not. That is, it is possible to see whether the treatment reduces the cancer or whether it remains the same.
- Can you give me some idea of your chances of recovery?
- These are also used to monitor the recurrence of some cancers.
But one thing to keep in mind is that some tumor markers only provide information about one specific type of cancer. However, other tumor markers can provide information about more than one type of cancer.
How are these tumor markers found? Where are they located?
There are generally two types of tumor markers:
1. Circulating Tumor Markers: These are found in our body fluids.
2. Tumor Tissue Markers: These are located directly within the tumor.
Where to find Circulating Tumor Markers
These are yours:
- Blood
- Urine
- Stool
- Bone marrow
- Saliva
You can find out by things like: If you need a blood sample, a doctor will do a blood test. If you need a urine, saliva, or stool sample, they will instruct you on how to take it. If you need a bone marrow sample, you will need to do a bone marrow biopsy .
Where to find tumor tissue markers
These are:
- In cancerous tumors (in your body tissues)
In such cases, a doctor takes a small sample of the affected tissue, called a biopsy , and sends it to a pathology lab for analysis.
Can all cancers be detected with tumor markers?
No. This is a question that many people ask. Tumor markers have not yet been found for all cancers. This means that many types of cancer cannot be tested for these tumor markers. In such cases, your doctor may recommend other lab tests, such as a CT scan (Computed Tomography scan) or an MRI scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) .
What are the tumor markers we often talk about?
There are many types of tumor markers that are used to test for different types of cancer. Here are some of the most commonly used:
- AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein): Using a sample of your blood, doctors look at this to diagnose liver cancer , testicular cancer, and other germ cell tumors , and to see how effective treatment is.
- BCL2 gene rearrangement: This is done by taking a sample of your blood, bone marrow, or tumor and looking at it to diagnose and plan treatment for cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma .
- BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations: These can be tested in a blood, saliva, or tumor sample to help diagnose breast cancer and ovarian cancer , and help plan screening and treatment.
- CA 19-9: This is measured in a blood sample and is used to diagnose cancer of the pancreas , gallbladder cancer , bile duct cancer, and stomach cancer , and to assess the success of treatment.
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA): If you have colon cancer , this is tested in a blood sample to find out how successful the treatment is, whether the cancer has spread, or whether it has come back.
- Fibrin/Fibrinogen: This is tested in a sample of your urine to see how successful the treatment for bladder cancer is.
- Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH): This is measured in a blood sample and used to determine the stage of leukemia , lymphoma , melanoma , neuroblastoma, and germ cell tumors or to monitor the success of treatment.
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA): This is measured in a blood sample and helps diagnose prostate cancer , see how successful treatment is, and whether it has come back.
- Thyroglobulin: If you have had thyroid cancer , this is measured in a blood sample to see how successful the treatment has been and whether the cancer has come back.
- UGT1A1*28 variant homozygosity: If you have colorectal cancer , this can be tested in a blood sample or cheek swab to predict how much toxicity you will experience from the chemotherapy drug Irinotecan .
Now you probably understand how diverse these tumor markers are, and how important they are.
How is a tumor marker test performed?
This depends on what type of cancer your doctor is testing for. A tumor marker test usually requires one of the following:
- Blood test
- Saliva test
- Urinalysis
- Stool test
- Biopsy
Doctors do these tests to help diagnose cancer, plan treatment, or check how well your current treatment is working. Sometimes you may need more than one tumor marker test.
How long does it take to get the test report?
This also depends on several factors, especially the type of tumor marker test your doctor orders. You may get the results of blood, urine, stool, or saliva tests in a day or two. However, if you need a biopsy , it can take a week or longer to get the results. So, it's important to be patient and not panic.
What are the normal values for cancer markers?
This is also something that many people ask. In fact, since there are many types of cancer markers, the normal range for each is different. If you want to know more about tumor marker values for a specific type of cancer, it is best to talk to your doctor.
What does it mean if tumor markers are elevated?
If the results of a tumor marker test show that the markers are elevated, it may raise suspicion that cancer may be present. Or, it may mean that the cancer has grown or spread to other areas (metastasized) .
However, keep this in mind: the mere fact that a tumor marker is elevated is not enough to confirm the presence of cancer.
If your test results are high, your doctor will explain what the numbers mean. They may also order additional tests.
What does it mean if tumor markers decrease?
A decrease in tumor markers can often mean that treatment is working. This is really good news. However, tumor markers can sometimes go up and down throughout the course of treatment. Because of this, it can be a little difficult to measure them consistently. That's why doctors use tumor marker tests in conjunction with other diagnostic tests.
Can tumor markers be elevated without cancer?
Yes, it can! This is also a very important point. Many other health conditions that are not cancer can also cause elevated tumor marker levels. Here are some of them:
- Anemia
- Thyroid disease
- Ovarian cysts (benign, meaning non-cancerous)
- Kidney disease
- Kidney stones
- Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
- Sarcoidosis ( an inflammatory condition that occurs in various parts of the body)
So, don't panic just because a tumor marker is elevated. Your doctor will find out the exact cause and tell you.
Can stress cause tumor markers to increase?
Some people are talking about this too. Research has found that chronic stress can increase the risk of cancer recurrence in people who have previously been cured of cancer. However, further research is needed to determine whether stress directly increases tumor markers. However, maintaining good mental health is important in all aspects.
So, the final take-home message:
Okay, so we've talked a lot about tumor markers today, haven't we? I think you've got a good understanding of these. Finally, keep these points in mind:
- Tumor markers are an important tool that helps doctors diagnose, treat, and monitor cancer.
- There are different tumor markers for different types of cancer. Not all cancers have markers.
- Just because a tumor marker is elevated is not enough to confirm cancer. More tests are needed for that.
- Tumor markers can also be elevated due to other conditions that are not cancer.
- Talk openly with your doctor about any questions or concerns you have about your tumor marker test results. They can explain the information in a way that is most appropriate for you.
Remember, awareness is the best way to deal with any health problem. Wishing you good health!
` Cancer, tumor markers, cancer signs, cancer tests, cancer diagnosis, cancer treatment, health awareness
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න