Tumour Markers
Less Common Tumor Markers Currently in Use
| tumor markers | cancers | What else? | When/how used | Usual sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2M (Beta-2 microglobulin) | Multiple myeloma and lymphomas | Present in many other conditions, including Crohn’s disease and hepatitis. | Determine prognosis | Blood |
| BTA (Bladder tumour antigen) | Bladder | Not widely used | Help diagnose and determine recurrence | Urine |
| CA 72-4 (Cancer antigen 72-4) | Ovarian | No evidence that it is better than CA-125 but may be useful when combined with it | Help diagnose | Blood |
| Calcitonin | Thyroid medullary carcinoma | Also elevated in pernicious anaemia and thyroiditis | Help diagnose, monitor treatment, and determine recurrence | Blood |
| NSE (Neuron-specific enolase) | Neuroblastoma, small cell lung cancer | May be better than CEA for following this particular kind of lung cancer | Monitor treatment | Blood |
| NMP22 | Bladder | Not widely used | Help diagnose and determine recurrence | Urine |
| Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) | Prostate | Not widely used, levels increase normally with age | Help diagnose | Blood |
| Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) | Metastatic prostate cancer, myeloma, lung cancer | Not widely used anymore, elevated in prostatitis and other conditions | Help diagnose | Blood |
| S-100 | Metastatic melanoma | Not widely used | Help diagnose | Blood |
| TA-90 | Metastatic melanoma | Not widely used, being studied | Help diagnose | Blood |
| Thyroglobulin | Thyroid | Used after thyroid is removed to evaluate treatment | Determine recurrence | Blood |
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