Tumor Markers

Question 1

Alkaline phosphatase

Answer 1

Metastases to bone, liver, Paget disease of bone, seminoma (placental ALP)

Question 2

alpha-fetoprotein

Answer 2

Normally made by fetus. Hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatoblastoma, yolk sac (endodermal sinus) tumor, testicular cancer, mixed germ cell tumor (co-secreted with ß-hCG

Question 3

ß-hCG

Answer 3

Hydatidiform moles & Choriocarcinomas (Gestational trophoblastic disease), testicular cancer

Commonly associated w/ pregnancy

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. Very nonspecific but produced by ~70% of colorectal & pancreatic cancers; also produced by gastric, breast & medullary thyroid carcinomas

Question 9

PSA

Answer 9

Prostate-specific antigen. Used to follow prostate adenocarcinoma. Can also be elevated in BPH & prostatitis. Questionable risk/benefit for screening.

Question 10

S-100

Answer 10

Neural crest origin (melanomas, neural tumors, schwannomas, Langerhans cell histiocytosis)

Question 11

TRAP

Answer 11

Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase

Hairy cell leukemia: B-cell neoplasm