Tumor marker blood tests may help inform various aspects of cancer care, including diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and outlook. However, they’re often not the only diagnostic tests used.
If you or someone you know has cancer, you may be overwhelmed with news of the diagnosis, information about the disease, and next steps.
You might have heard of tumor marker blood tests when learning about possible examinations.
These tests offer valuable insights into the disease, crucial information about a tumor’s behavior, and potential treatment options.
Simply put, tumor markers are anything cancer cells or typical body cells
If you have cancer, these markers may be present in your:
- tissues
- tumors
- stool
- bodily fluids, including urine and blood
Usually, levels of tumor markers are higher if you have cancer, but this isn’t always true.
The Early Detection Research Network from the National Cancer Institute is looking into alternative tumor markers, such as those in your breath or sweat, that may help detect cancer early.
Tumor marker tests, including those of your blood,
- an initial diagnosis of cancer
- the staging and type of cancer
- cancer outlook
- potentially effective treatments
- how well you’re responding to treatment
- recurrent (returned) cancer
After taking a sample of blood, experts at
Which cancers can tumor marker blood tests detect?
Some cancers that have common blood tumor markers
The
Interpreting results
Your doctor’s interpretation of your results depends on the tumor markers they see. The table below provides some examples of blood tumor markers and how they’re used. Note that it’s not comprehensive.
Tumor markers may be:
- proteins
- genes, gene mutations, gene products
- hormones
- enzymes
- glycoproteins or mucins
| Type of blood tumor marker | Cancer types | How it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| alpha-fetoprotein | liver, ovarian, germ cell tumors | diagnosis, treatment response, staging, outlook |
| BLC2 gene rearrangement | lymphomas, leukemias | diagnosis, therapy planning |
| BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations | breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate | treatment planning |
| calcitonin | medullary thyroid cancer | diagnosis, treatment response, recurrence assessment |
Speak with your doctor if you’re wondering whether a tumor marker blood test is right for you. Depending on the type of cancer, they may recommend other tumor marker tests, such as:
- urine
- bone marrow
- tumor tissue
Also, not every cancer will have a tumor marker, although many do.
While it’s a powerful diagnostic tool, a tumor marker blood test is often not the only tool healthcare professionals will use to assess cancer. When used alone, tumor marker tests may have some
Disadvantages of tumor marker tests
- Lack of specificity: You may produce tumor markers even in noncancerous conditions.
- Lack of sensitivity: Not everyone will show high levels of tumor markers, which may cause false negatives.
- Biological variability: Not everyone will show the same levels of tumor markers, which makes it difficult to determine exact values to base a diagnosis on.
- Analytical variability: The techniques used during laboratory testing may vary, which may impact the reliability of your sample’s results.
Using other assessment techniques alongside tumor marker tests will help provide a more comprehensive evaluation.
Tumor marker blood tests may help with the diagnosis, treatment planning, and staging of several types of cancer.
Many tumor markers are found in your blood, but others may be present in your urine, bone marrow, or tumor tissue.
You or your doctor may choose to perform a tumor marker blood test to learn more about your specific type of cancer. But the results may not always be reliable, so they’re often performed alongside other diagnostic tests.