Table of Contents
- 1 Why are oncofetal proteins useful as Tumour markers?
- 2 What is an oncofetal protein?
- 3 What do Tumour markers indicate?
- 4 What are carbohydrate markers?
- 5 What are the enzymes useful as tumor markers?
- 6 Can carbohydrates be antibodies?
- 7 What is a perfect tumor marker?
- 8 What is the difference between biomarkers and tumors?
Why are oncofetal proteins useful as Tumour markers?
Tumor Markers Oncofetal proteins originate within tumor cells and enter the bloodstream either by secretion from the tumor or as a breakdown product of tumor cells. Normally oncofetal proteins are present during embryogenesis and may increase with certain cancers, making them potentially useful tumor markers.
What is an oncofetal protein?
Oncofetal antigens are proteins which are typically present only during fetal development but are found in adults with certain kinds of cancer. These proteins are often measurable in the blood of individuals with cancer and may be used to both diagnose and follow treatment of the tumors.
Is PSA an oncofetal antigen?
Investigations in this field led to the discovery of several oncofetal antigens such as carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which continue to have clinical utility and are important targets for cancer therapy.
What are Oncofetal genes?
Oncofetal genes are defined as genes expressed in the embryos or fetuses, which are turned off or suppressed in adult tissue, but re-expressed in tumor cells (Cleynen et al., 2007; Sarandakou et al., 2007). Most are clinically useful markers or functionally interesting genes.
What do Tumour markers indicate?
A tumor marker is anything present in or produced by cancer cells or other cells of the body in response to cancer or certain benign (noncancerous) conditions that provides information about a cancer, such as how aggressive it is, what kind of treatment it may respond to, or whether it is responding to treatment.
What are carbohydrate markers?
Carbohydrate-rich tumor markers are specific antigens found either on the surface of tumor cells or may also be secreted as products by the tumor cells. The carbohydrate tumor markers are further classified as high-molecular weight mucins and blood group antigen-related markers.
Which tumor marker is elevated in most cancers?
Guide to Tumor Markers Used in Cancer
| Tumor Marker | Cancers Associated With Elevated Results |
|---|---|
| CA 27.29 Cancer Antigen 27.29 or Carbohydrate Antigen 27.29 | Breast** (best used to detect recurrence or metastasis). Colon, gastric, liver, lung, pancreatic, ovarian, prostate cancers |
| Calcitonin | Medullary thyroid cancer** |
What is the highest tumor marker?
Tumor marker levels may be higher when there is cancer in the body….Guide to Tumor Markers Used in Cancer.
| Tumor Marker | |
|---|---|
| Blood test (blood serum marker), except where noted. | |
| “Normal” Results | < 37 U/ml is normal > 120 U/ml is generally caused by tumor |
| CA 125 Cancer Antigen 125 or Carbohydrate Antigen 125 |
What are the enzymes useful as tumor markers?
The most commonly used tumor markers with enzymatic activity are: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) Alkaline phosphatase.
Can carbohydrates be antibodies?
Despite their prominent occurrence at the surface of all cells and virus particles, carbohydrates do not elicit immune responses like peptide antigens. Yet, carbohydrate-specific antibodies are widespread among all classes of immunoglobulins [1].
How do oncofetal proteins enter the bloodstream?
Oncofetal proteins originate within tumor cells and enter the bloodstream either by secretion from the tumor or as a breakdown product of tumor cells. Normally oncofetal proteins are present during embryogenesis and may increase with certain cancers, making them potentially useful tumor markers.
What are the different markers used to classify cancer cells?
The first column classifies the different markers as oncofetal antigens (yellow), tumor associated antigens (green), hormones and hormone receptors (orange), iso-/enzymes (light grey), serum and tissue markers (dark grey), and cancer stem cell markers (blue). The matrix indicates for which cancer types the different markers can be used.
What is a perfect tumor marker?
A perfect tumor marker is highly specific and differentiates reliably between healthy individuals and cancer patients. It can be a universal tumor marker or specific for one particular malignancy.
What is the difference between biomarkers and tumors?
Substances such as proteins and peptides can be readily measured and are therefore often times used as biomarkers. Tumor markers represent a subset of biomarkers that are indicative for cancerous growth. Most of these marker are being produced by both normal cells as well as tumor cells.