Tumor Markers (Tumor Marker) to reflect the presence of tumor of chemical substances.Tumor markers have the characteristics of them, or does not exist in normal adult tissues but only in embryonic tissue, or the content in tumor tissue than in normal tissue in much the content, they can suggest the presence or the quantitative nature of the tumor, in order to understand the tumor organization, cell differentiation, cell function, to help diagnosis, classification, prognosis and treatment guidance.
Have the ideal characteristics of tumor markers:
specificity; high sensitivity; yield is proportional to tumor size; serum levels and activity of tumor cells is proportional to the load. Most of the specificity of tumor markers, sensitivity and feasibility of both relative and also complementary.
Tumor markers with clinical characteristics of the application and analysis should consider the following factors:
the relationship between sensitivity and specificity; false negative and false positive relations; tumor markers and the relationship between individual differences in patients with the clinical situation and the relationship; tumor marker analysis combined with clinical conditions, from the perspective of multiple checks comparison, in order to obtain objective and true conclusions; cancer tumor markers are not the only basis for diagnosis, because tumor markers affected by many factors, but the gold standard for diagnosis of the tumor tissue is pathological or cytological diagnosis.
If you get the lab test results of one or more of which is not normal, do not panic fear, should be to consult oncologist, by a physician based on your specific situation to determine integrated to determine the need for further examination observation.