Serum Tumor Markers (and Psammoma bodies)

Calcitonin

Medullary thyroid carcinoma

Psammoma Bodies

laminated, concentric spherules with dystrophic calcification. PSaMMoma bodies seen in: Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid Serous papillary cystuadenocarcinoma of the ovary Meningioma Malignant mesothelioma

Alkaline phosphatase

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

CA 125

ovarian cancer

CA 19-9

pancreatic adenocarcinoma

PSA

-cana also be elevated in BPH and prostatitis. Questionable risk/benefit for screening. -prostate-specific antigen. -prostate cancer

a-fetoprotein

-normally made by fetus. transiently elevated in pregnancy. high levels associated with neural tube and abdominal wall defects, low levels associated with Downs. -hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatoblastoma, yolk sac (endodermal sinus) tumor, mixed germ cell tumor.

B-hCG

-produced normally by syncytiotrophoblasts of the placenta. -Hydatidiform moles and choriocarcinomas (Gestational trophoblastic disease), testicular cancer, mixed germ cell tumor.

CEA

CarcinoEmbryonic antigen. very nonspecific but produced by about 70% of colorectal and pancreatic cancers; also produced by gastric, breast, and medullary thyroid carcinomas.

CA 15-3/CA 27-29

breast cancer

serum tumor markers in general...

tumor markers should not be used as the primary tool for cancer diagnosis or screening. They may be use to monitor tumor recurrence and response to therapy, but definitive diagnosis is usually made via biopsy.