Friday, November 4, 2011

Cancer Screening Blood Tests

In the prior post, we have read about nonspecific blooe tests to detect cancer, such alkaline phosphatase, amylase, SGOT, SGPT, LDH, uric acid, creatinine, BUN, calcium, and electrolytes. In this post, we will read about specific blood tests, such as CEA, CA-125, CA-19-9, CA-15-3, CA 27-29, AFP, HCG, PAP, PSA, serum protein electrophoresis, and serum protein immunoelectrophoresis. Now we will see about each test one by one.


CEA: It can be expanded as carcinoembryonic antigen. All human being will have this antigen in low levels in their blood, but cancer patients will have abnormally elevated CEA levels in their blood. Especially patients with lung, breast, colon, pancreas, and rectal cancer patients will have elevated levels of CEA.

CA-125: It can be expanded as cancer antigen 125 or carbohydrate antigen 125. The other name of mucin 16 or MUC16. CA-125 level is normally elevated in the people with overy and uterus cancers.

CA 19-9: This can be expanded as carbohydrate antigen 19-9. The other name is sialylated Lewis antigen or cancer antigen 19-9. Lewis antigen is found in red blood cells. Patients with stomach, colon, pancreas, and liver will have this level increased in their blood.

CA 15-3: This can be expanded as carbohydrate antigen 15-3. The patients who have breast cancer will have CA 15-3 level elevated. It is a tumor marker test for cancer in the breasts. CA 27-29 is also a tumor marker test for the patients with breast cancer.

AFP: This can be extended as alpha-fetoprotein and this is a kind of plasma protein. This is found in the fetus in the serum albumin. Alpha-fetoprotein may be in the elevated condition in the patients with liver cancer and also found in the patients with testis cancer.

In the next post, we will learn about other specific blood tests, such as HCG, PAP, PSA, and serum protein tests. Okay.

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