A tumor marker is anything present or produced by cancer cells or other body cells in response to cancer or some benign (non-cancerous) condition that provides information about cancer. like how aggressive he is, And what kind of treatment he might respond to or whether he’s responding to treatment.
Tumor markers have traditionally been proteins or other substances that cancer cells make in higher amounts than normal cells. It can be found in the blood, urine, stool, tumors, other tissues, or body fluids of some cancer patients. However, Genomic markers (such as tumor genetic mutations, and tumor gene expression patterns, and non-genetic changes in tumor DNA) found in tumors themselves and in tumor fragments infused into body fluids.
Tumor marker tests are not perfect. They are often non-specific to cancer and may not be sensitive enough to pick up cancer recurrence. The presence of tumor markers alone is not enough to diagnose cancer. You may need other tests to learn more about the possibility of developing or recurring cancer. Some of the limitations of tumor marker indicators are listed below.
A non-cancerous condition or disease can raise tumor marker levels.
People who don’t have cancer can have high levels of tumor markers.
Tumor marker levels can change over time. Tests may not get the same result every time.
Tumor marker levels may not rise until the cancer has gotten worse. This does not help detect cancer early, or in people at high risk. It also does not help in finding redundancy.
Some cancers do not make the tumor markers found in the blood. Some types of cancer have no known tumor markers.
Your tumor marker levels may not be elevated. Even if the type of cancer you have is usually making tumor markers.
A member of your health care team will take a sample of your blood or urine. The sample goes to a laboratory for testing. Some tests must be done more than once, Because tumor marker levels can change regularly.
You’ll also need other tests to find cancer and to verify treatment. This is because tumor marker results have limitations and are sometimes false. They may do the following:
Show that a tumor is present or growing when it is not.
Show the absence of a tumor when present, Or show that a treatment works when it doesn’t.
There is no perfect test. So your doctor will likely order several types of tests to find answers.
Doctors use different tumor marker tests for different types of cancer. However, Many cancers do not yet have tumor markers that can help guide care.
You may want to ask your health care team these questions:
At the end of this article, we recommend seeking medical help in case of any changes in the nature of the body and feeling symptoms of cancer. Treatment at Duxpert Health focuses primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and how to control the symptoms associated with it.
As explained in this article about the methods of treating tumor lysis syndrome through “Duxpert Health”, and if you have any questions or inquiries, do not hesitate to send them to be answered as soon as possible.
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