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​Symptoms and Signs – Differential Diagnosis of Tumor Markers Elevation
Causes of elevated levels of tumor markers:
CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN (CEA)
• Colonic cancer (higher levels if the tumor is more differentiated or is extensive or has spread to the liver)
• Lung or breast cancer; seminoma
• Cigarette smokers
• Cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease, rectal polyps, pancreatitis
• Advanced age
ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN
• Hepatocellular cancer: very high titers or a rising titer is strongly suggestive, but >10% of patients do not have an elevated level
• Hepatic regeneration (e.g., cirrhosis, alcoholic or viral hepatitis)
• Cancer of the stomach, colon, pancreas, or lung
• Teratocarcinoma or embryonal cell carcinoma (testis, ovary, extragonadal)
• Pregnancy
• Ataxia-telangiectasia
• Normal variant
PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN
• Prostate carcinoma (localized disease)
• Prostatic hyperplasia
• Prostatitis
• Prostatitic infarction
CANCER-ASSOCIATED ANTIGEN (CA19-9)*
• Pancreatic carcinoma (80% with advanced, well-differentiated cancer have an elevated level)
• Other gastrointestinal cancers: colon, stomach, bile duct
• Acute or chronic pancreatitis
• Chronic liver disease
• Biliary tract disease
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Kembara Xtra 

Facts about medicine and its subtopic such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology and surgery.