Tumor Markers Flashcards
What is the second leading cause of mortality in developed countries?
Cancer
Cancer is caused by uncontrolled growth of cells that often form a new solid mass or tumor (neoplasm).
What are oncogenes?
Cancer causing genes
Oncogenes are mutations that can lead to cancer development.
How many stages is cancer classified into?
4 stages
Higher stages indicate larger tumors and/or significant metastasis or spreading.
What is a tumor marker?
Biomarker found in blood or tissue linked to cancer
Tumor markers are produced directly from the tumor or as a response from healthy tissue.
What is the ideal characteristic of a tumor marker?
Tumor specific, absent in healthy individuals, readily detectable
Ideal markers help in diagnosis, prognosis, detection of recurrence, and monitoring response to treatment.
What is the HOOK EFFECT in tumor marker testing?
Excessively high concentrations can result in falsely low measurements
This occurs due to antigen excess, leading to saturation of label antibodies.
What can interfere with tumor marker testing results?
HAMA’s
HAMA’s can cause false positive or negative results.
What are some factors that can affect tumor marker sample results?
Hemolysis, lipemia, icterus, carryover effect
These factors can lead to inaccurate measurements.
What is α-Fetoprotein (AFP) and its significance?
Produced by fetal liver, elevated in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
AFP can also be used to monitor testicular cancer.
What is the purpose of Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125)?
Useful for detecting ovarian tumors at early stage and monitoring treatment
CA-125 is a significant tumor marker for ovarian cancer.
What types of cancers is Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) associated with?
Colorectal, lung, breast, GI cancers
CEA is not specific, hence not used for screening.
What is the use of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) in cancer monitoring?
Can monitor ovarian cancer and testicular cancer
Some tumors mimic uterine implantation, which is relevant in HCG testing.
What is the role of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) in cancer screening?
Used to screen for prostate cancer
Total PSA and free PSA can be used, but PSA levels can be affected by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
What is the controversy surrounding PSA testing?
Sensitivity and specificity issues
Efforts are ongoing to improve the accuracy of PSA tests.
What are immunoglobulin free light chains used for?
Used for light chain diseases that do not produce detectable immunoglobulin levels
They are useful for monitoring patients without an M spike.
What is the second leading cause of mortality in developed countries?
Cancer
What is the definition of cancer?
Uncontrolled growth of cells, often leading to a new solid mass or tumor (neoplasm)
What are oncogenes?
Cancer causing genes
How many stages can cancer be classified into?
4 stages
What characterizes Stage I of cancer?
Localized primary tumor
What happens in Stage II of cancer?
Invasion into the blood vessels
What occurs in Stage III of cancer?
Migration into the lymph nodes
What defines Stage IV of cancer?
Metastasis and migration of tumor into the distal tissue
What is a tumor marker?
Biomarker found in blood or tissue and when elevated linked to cancer
