Does low levels of tumor marker indicate no cancer?!
Question: Does low levels of tumor marker indicate no cancer!?
I mean if the tumor marker level is not higher than normal does this nake us sure that this person dont have cancer!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
A tumor marker can mean a lot of things, but generally on this forum most are talking about CEA, CA-125, PSA, and CA19-9/27!.29!.
These "markers" are found in normal individuals (hence why normal is not zero)!. They are not diagnostic, as elevated levels can be seen in normal and benign disease states!. Low levels similarly do not indicate the absence of disease, either!.
They do serve several useful purposes!. For one, if you have an elevated marker at beginning of therapy, and if it declines subsequently AND is associated with some sign clinically/radiographically of disease response, then your doctor may use the marker as a bellwether of your disease state (translation= maybe not so many CT scans and yummy contrast)!. In this case the marker tracks the disease; marker goes up, disease may be worse; marker goes down, disease appears to be responding!. A marker is no replacement though for a thorough history, exam, xray, and good ol' observation by your doc- I have had many patients who have had inexplicable rises in tumor markers when the patient was clearly doing better (and responding by xray as well)!. Think of the markers as an adjunct to your care, not the sole focus!.
Markers can also be used to help us sort out where a cancer started when it is not obvious after initial evaluation!. Hence, a PSA might suggest prostate, CA-125 female tract malignancy, CA 19-9 pancreas or biliary tract, etc!. Again, they don't make the diagnosis, but support or refute it!.
Honestly, patients put a lot of stock in tumor markers, but they all must be interpreted through common sense and experience, and not accepted as clearly meaningful numerical values!. For instance, most patients associate a doubling of the marker to mean things must be twice as bad!. This is definitely not the case!.
God bless, best wishesWww@Answer-Health@Com
These "markers" are found in normal individuals (hence why normal is not zero)!. They are not diagnostic, as elevated levels can be seen in normal and benign disease states!. Low levels similarly do not indicate the absence of disease, either!.
They do serve several useful purposes!. For one, if you have an elevated marker at beginning of therapy, and if it declines subsequently AND is associated with some sign clinically/radiographically of disease response, then your doctor may use the marker as a bellwether of your disease state (translation= maybe not so many CT scans and yummy contrast)!. In this case the marker tracks the disease; marker goes up, disease may be worse; marker goes down, disease appears to be responding!. A marker is no replacement though for a thorough history, exam, xray, and good ol' observation by your doc- I have had many patients who have had inexplicable rises in tumor markers when the patient was clearly doing better (and responding by xray as well)!. Think of the markers as an adjunct to your care, not the sole focus!.
Markers can also be used to help us sort out where a cancer started when it is not obvious after initial evaluation!. Hence, a PSA might suggest prostate, CA-125 female tract malignancy, CA 19-9 pancreas or biliary tract, etc!. Again, they don't make the diagnosis, but support or refute it!.
Honestly, patients put a lot of stock in tumor markers, but they all must be interpreted through common sense and experience, and not accepted as clearly meaningful numerical values!. For instance, most patients associate a doubling of the marker to mean things must be twice as bad!. This is definitely not the case!.
God bless, best wishesWww@Answer-Health@Com
What do you mean by "tumor marker!?" Also define normal!. I'm not saying your question is bad, but please try to be a little more specific!.Www@Answer-Health@Com