Has your doctor ever mentioned a test called 'Tumor Markers'? Or have you heard this word somewhere? You may have heard these two words when talking about cancer. When you hear this name, you may feel a little scared, and a big question may come to your mind. But this is actually not something to be afraid of. Today, we will talk about this very simply, clearly, and in a way that you can understand. Because this is something that is very important for many people fighting cancer and their families.
Okay, so what are these tumor markers?
Simply put, a tumor marker is any substance in your body that gives us some information or clue about cancer. Usually, these are proteins produced by cancer cells. But sometimes, even normal, non-cancerous cells can produce these markers in response to cancer. These are sometimes called cancer markers, or biomarkers.
Think of it this way. Just as the police look for evidence at a crime scene, when doctors suspect cancer, they use this kind of "evidence" in our bodies to find out if it really exists and what kind it is.
These are not just proteins. Sometimes even changes in our DNA (mutations) can act as tumor markers. So this is a very broad topic.
What can we learn from these tests?
Tumor markers are not a test used alone. The doctor will combine them with other tests (for example, CT scans, MRI scans, and biopsy tests) to reach a conclusion. These tests can tell us a lot of important things.
- Get a clue about cancer: Elevated levels of certain tumor markers can suggest the presence of a certain type of cancer in the body. However, this alone cannot confirm the presence of cancer.
- Helps in treatment planning: The information from these markers helps in choosing the most suitable and effective treatment method depending on the type of cancer you have.
- See if your current treatment is working: Imagine you are undergoing treatment for cancer. After a while, your doctor will retest your tumor markers. If the levels of those markers have decreased, it means that the treatment is working and the cancer cells are being destroyed.
- Get an idea of the likelihood of recovery: Based on the levels of certain markers, doctors can get an idea of the likelihood of recovery from the disease.
- Monitor the risk of cancer recurrence: After the cancer has been completely cured and treated, this test is done at regular intervals. If the levels of these markers rise again, it may be an early warning of the risk of cancer recurrence.
Some tumor markers are specific to one type of cancer, while others can provide information about several types of cancer.
Where are these tumor markers located in our body?
There are two main types of tumor markers, depending on where they are found.
1. Circulating Tumor Markers: These are found in our body fluids. For example:
- Blood
- Urine
- Stool
- Bone Marrow
- Saliva
A blood sample can usually be taken from your arm. If it's a urine, saliva, or stool sample, you'll be given instructions on how to take it. To get a bone marrow sample, you'll need to do a minor surgery called a ``Bone Marrow Biopsy''.
2. Tumor Tissue Markers: These are found within the tumor.
- To test for these, the doctor must take a small piece of the cancer (a biopsy) and send it to a laboratory, where these markers are analyzed.
Several types of commonly used tumor markers
There are many types of tumor markers used for many types of cancer. The table below provides a simple explanation of some of the most commonly used ones.
| Marker Name | Types of cancer being tested | The sample to be tested |
|---|---|---|
| AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein) | To diagnose liver cancer, testicular cancer, and other germ cell tumors and measure the success of treatment. | A blood sample |
| BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations | To assess the risk, diagnosis, and treatment planning for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. | A sample of blood, saliva, or cancer tissue |
| CA 19-9 | To measure the success of treatments for cancers of the pancreas, gallbladder, bile duct, and stomach. | A blood sample |
| CEA (Carcinoembryonic antigen) | To find out if treatment for colon cancer is successful, if the cancer has spread, or if it has come back. | A blood sample |
| PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) | To diagnose prostate cancer in men, measure the success of treatment, and see if the cancer has come back. | A blood sample |
| Thyroglobulin | After treatment for thyroid cancer, to check how successful the treatment is, or if the cancer has returned. | A blood sample |
How to understand the test report?
This is the biggest question that many people have. It's understandable to be scared, "I have too many markers on my report, what happens now?" Let's talk about it clearly.
What does it mean if tumor markers are elevated?
High levels of tumor markers indicate the presence of cancer. Or, an existing cancer may be growing or spreading to other areas (metastasized).
But, the most important thing is that just because tumor markers are elevated, it doesn't mean 100% that you have cancer. This is not a diagnosis by itself.
Your doctor will come to a conclusion by looking at this report, your symptoms, and all of the other test results together. So don't panic just by looking at the numbers on the report. Be sure to talk to your doctor about it.
What does it mean when tumor markers decrease?
This is usually good news. A decrease in tumor marker levels during treatment means that your treatment is working and that the cancer cells are being controlled. But sometimes these levels can fluctuate during treatment. That's why your doctor will monitor these levels over time, rather than relying on a single test.
Can tumor markers be elevated even without cancer?
Yes, it definitely can. This is something that many people don't know, but it's important to know. Tumor marker levels can also be elevated due to a number of common, non-cancerous health conditions. That's why we say that this test alone is not used to confirm cancer.
Below are some such non-cancerous conditions.
| Condition | Possible Markers Affected |
|---|---|
| Anemia | Different marker levels can be affected. |
| Thyroid disease | Markers such as CEA may be affected. |
| Ovarian cysts | CA-125 (a marker for ovarian cancer) may be elevated. |
| Kidney disease | Many markers can increase in level because they are not properly removed from the body. |
| Liver diseases (e.g. Hepatitis) | Markers such as AFP and CEA may increase. |
| Pregnancy | Some markers, such as AFP, naturally increase. |
Can all cancers be detected using this method?
No. As far as is known, there are no tumor markers that are specific to all types of cancer. In such cases, the doctor relies entirely on other methods such as `CT` scans, `MRI` scans, `PET` scans and biopsies for diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
Take-Home Message
- Tumor markers are signs in our body that provide information and clues about cancer.
- It is never possible to determine the presence of cancer based on this test alone. Other tests are definitely needed for that.
- Elevated tumor marker levels can be caused by other non-cancerous health conditions (e.g., kidney disease, liver disease).
- A decrease in these levels during treatment may indicate that the treatment is successful. Similarly, an increase in levels after treatment may indicate a recurrence of the disease.
- If you have any questions, doubts, or concerns about your test results, the best and only thing to do is to talk openly with your doctor about it. Don't make decisions based on information found online.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න