Serum Tumor Markers

Question 1

Alkaline phosphatase

Answer 1

Mets to bone or liver
Paget disease of bone
Seminoma (placental ALP)

Question 2

a-fetoprotein

Answer 2

Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatoblastoma
Yolk sac (endodermal sinus) tumor
Mixed germ cell tumor
(High levels during pregnancy associated with neural tube defect and abdominal wall defect)
(Low levels in pregnancy associated with Down syndrome)

Question 3

B-hCG

Answer 3

Hydratidiform moles and choriocarcinomas (gestational trophoblastic disease)
Testicular cancer
Mixed germ cell tumor

Question 4

CA 15-3/CA 27-29

Answer 4

Breast cancer

Question 5

CA 19-9

Answer 5

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Question 6

CA 125

Answer 6

Ovarian cancer

Question 7

Calcitonin

Answer 7

Medullary thyroid carcinoma

Question 8

CEA

Answer 8

CarcinoEmbryonic Antigen
** Nonspecific and produced by ~70% of colorectal and pancreatic cancers

Also produced by gastric, breast and medullary thyroid carcinomas

Question 9

PSA

Answer 9

Prostate-specific antigen

Can be elevated in BPH and prostatitis (questionable screening benefit)