Tumor Marker - Uses

Uses

Uses of tumor markers can broadly be classified as follows:

• Screening for common cancers on a population basis. Example: elevated prostate specific antigen suggests prostate cancer.
• Monitoring of cancer survivors after treatment. Example: elevated AFP in a child previously treated for teratoma suggests relapse with endodermal sinus tumor.
• Diagnosis of specific tumor types, particularly in certain brain tumors and other instances where biopsy is not feasible.

As stated in the BMJ 2009, tumour markers should not generally be used for the purpose of diagnosis of cancers, as opposed to monitoring purposes in certain cancers, or in certain cases, screening purposes. The use of these tests without understanding their utility has resulted in inappropriate use of tumour marker blood tests, which has also resulted in further inappropriate over-investigation for cancers.