Tumor Markers

Question 1

Tumor markers

Answer 1

Used to monitor tumor recurrence and response to therapy

Biopsy needed for definitive diagnosis

Question 2

Alkaline phosphatase

Answer 2

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

Question 3

a-fetoprotein

Answer 3

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

Question 4

B-hCG

Answer 4

Hydatidiform moles and choriocarcinomas (Gestational trophoblastic disease), testicular cancer

Commonly associated with pregnancy

Question 5

CA-15-3/CA-27-29

Answer 5

Breast cancer

Question 6

CA-19-9

Answer 6

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Question 7

CA-125

Answer 7

Ovarian cancer

Question 8

Calcitonin

Answer 8

Medullary thyroid carcinoma

Question 9

CEA

Answer 9

CarcinoEmbryonic Antigen
Nonspecific but produced by 70% of colorectal and pancreatic cancers
Also produced by gastric, breast, and medullary thyroid carcinomas

Question 10

PSA

Answer 10

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

Question 11

S-100

Answer 11

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

Question 12

TRAP

Answer 12

Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase (TRAP)
Hairy cell leukemia = B-cell neoplasm

“Trap the hairy animal”
Largely replaced by flow cytometry