Advances in biological markers for cancer

Abstract

The following serum tumor markers are elevated above normal levels in 50 percent or more of patients with various malignant neoplasms: Alpha-fetoprotein in yolk sac tumors, hepatomas, retinoblastomas, embryonal carcinomas, breast carcinomas, and carcinomas of uterine cervix; Carcinoembryonic antigen in colon carcinomas, choriocarcinomas, pancreatic carcinomas, medullary thyroid carcinomas, osteosarcomas, retinoblastomas, ovarian cystadenocarcinomas, mycosis fungoides, hepatomas, esophageal carcinomas, adenocarcinomas of uterine cervix, lung carcinomas, carcinomas of small intestine, urinary bladder carcinomas, and renal cell carcinomas; Human chorionic gonadotrophin in choriocarcinomas, malignant interstitial cell tumors of testis, non seminomatous tumors of testis, embryonal carcinomas, and pancreatic carcinomas. Combined use of these three markers increases the probability of finding one of them to be elevated in selected cases of malignancy. There will be further advances in biological markers for cancer, but the existence of a specific marker is questionable.