Tumor Markers

Tumor markers (TM) are laboratory detectable biomarkers that can be elevated by the presence of one or more types of cancer


 * In the narrower (clinical) sense of the word substances that can be determined in blood, urine or tissue and have a higher value in cancer
 * Used to clarify the diagnosis, monitor the course of therapy and early detection of disease relapse
 * Can be produced directly by tumor cells or non-tumor cells in response to the presence of a tumor (can also be elevated from non-tumor causes)
 * Not used for all cancer screening, only PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is used for screening of patients at risk for prostate cancer
 * If the tumor marker examination is performed at the appropriate choice and at reasonable intervals, it can be a good aid for the attending physician — determining the response to treatment, disease progression and the patient's prognosis
 * Tumor markers can be divided according to the site of production, specificity, chemical structure and biological character [3] [4]

Tumor-specific markers

 * Associated with the presence of certain tumor tissue
 * Due to the considerable overlap of TM production in different tumor tissues, the specificity is low
 * Suitable for monitoring remission of cancer and early diagnosis of disease relapse e.g. CEA (Ca GITu), CA 19–9 ( pancreatic cancer), CA 125 (ovarian cancer), etc.

Tissue-specific tumor markers

 * Rather related to a certain tissue in which a pathological process can take place (eg tumor growth)
 * Often increased from non-tumor causes (e.g. PSA in men - prostate; hCG and AFP - germinal liver tissue) [5] [6]