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- What is an AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) tumor marker test?
- What is it used for?
- Why do I need an AFP tumor marker test?
- What happens during an AFP tumor marker test?
- Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test?
- Are there any risks to the test?
- What do the results mean?
- Is there anything else I need to know about an AFP tumor marker test?
- References
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An AFP tumor marker test is a blood test that measures the level of AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) in a sample of your blood. It's usually used to help diagnose certain types of cancer and to check how well treatment is working.
AFP is a protein that the liver makes when its cells are growing and dividing to make new cells. AFP is normally high in unborn babies. After birth, AFP levels drop very low. Healthy children and adults who aren't pregnant have very little AFP in their blood.
AFP in non-pregnant people is mainly measured as a tumor marker. Tumor markers are substances that are often made by cancer cells or by normal cells in response to cancer. High levels of AFP can be a sign of cancer of the liver, ovaries or testicles.
An AFP tumor marker test cannot be used by itself to screen for or diagnose cancer. That's because other conditions can increase AFP levels, including liver diseases that aren't cancer. And some people who do have liver, ovarian, or testicular cancer will have normal AFP levels. So, an AFP tumor marker test can't rule out cancer for sure. But when used with other tests and exams, AFP tumor marker testing can help diagnose and monitor cancers that cause high AFP levels.
An AFP tumor marker test may be used during the diagnosis and/or treatment of cancer of the liver, ovaries, or testicles that make high levels of AFP. It is used to:
•Help confirm or rule out a cancer diagnosis when used with other exams and tests.
•Predict how cancer may behave over time.
•Monitor cancer treatment. AFP levels often go up if cancer is growing and go down when treatment is working.
•Check whether cancer has returned after treatment.
In certain cases, results from an AFP tumor marker test may be used to guide treatment choices for specific types of cancer. The test may also be used to monitor your health if you have chronic (long lasting) hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver. These conditions aren't cancer, but they increase your risk of developing liver cancer.
You may need an AFP tumor marker test if:
•A physical exam and/or other tests suggest that you may have cancer of the liver, ovaries, or testicles.
•You are currently being treated for a cancer that causes high AFP levels. Measuring your AFP test can show how well your treatment is working.
•You have completed treatment for a cancer that increased your AFP level. You may need an AFP tumor marker test from time to time to check whether your cancer is coming back.
A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.
You don't need any special preparations for an AFP tumor marker test.
There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.
If you haven't been diagnosed with cancer, test results that show:
•High levels of AFP may be a sign of cancer of the liver, ovaries, or testicles. But having a high AFP level doesn't mean you have cancer or that you will get cancer. Liver injury and liver diseases that aren't cancer can also cause high AFP levels. Less often, high levels of AFP may be a sign of other cancers, including lymphoma or lung cancer. Your provider will use your medical history and other test results to make a diagnosis.
•Normal levels of AFP mean you're less likely to have a cancer that causes high AFP levels. But a normal test result doesn't rule out cancer because some people with these cancers have normal AFP levels.
If you're being treated for a cancer that increased your AFP levels, you may be tested several times during treatment. Your provider will look at all your AFP test results to see how your levels have changed over time. If your results show:
•Your AFP levels are increasing, it may mean that your treatment isn't working.
•Your AFP levels are decreasing, it may mean your treatment is working.
In the U.S., the most common AFP tumor marker test measures all forms of AFP in your blood. A less common AFP test may be used to check the risk of liver cancer in people who have chronic liver disease. It measures a form of AFP called L3.
An AFP-L3 percent test (AFP-L3%) compares the amount of L3 to the amount of total AFP in your blood. If the portion of L3 increases, it may mean you have a high risk of developing a serious form of the most common liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma.
1.American Cancer Society [Internet]. Atlanta: American Cancer Society Inc.; c2022. Can Liver Cancer Be Found Early?; [updated 2019 Apr 1; cited 2022 Aug 23]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/liver-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html
2.Cancer.Net [Internet]. Alexandria (VA): American Society of Clinical Oncology; 2005–2022. Germ Cell Tumor- Childhood: Diagnosis; [updated 2021 May; cited 2022 Aug 23]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/germ-cell-tumor-childhood/diagnosis
3.Johns Hopkins Medicine [Internet]. Johns Hopkins Medicine; Health Library: Liver Cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma); [cited 2022 Aug 23]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/liver-cancer-hepatocellular-carcinoma
4.Mayo Clinic [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; c1998–2022. Cancer blood tests: lab tests used in cancer diagnosis; [cited 2022 Aug 23]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer-diagnosis/art-20046459
5.Mayo Clinic: Mayo Medical Laboratories [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; c1995–2022. Test ID: AFP: Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP), Tumor Marker, Serum: Clinical and Interpretive; [cited 2022 Aug 23]; [about 2 screens]. Available from: https://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/8162
6.Merck Manual Consumer Version [Internet]. Kenilworth (NJ): Merck & Co. Inc.; c2022. Diagnosis of Cancer; [modified 2020 Sep; cited 2022 Aug 23]; [about 4 screens]. Available from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/cancer/overview-of-cancer/diagnosis-of-cancer
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AFP is a leading global news agency providing fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the events shaping our world and of the issues affecting our daily lives. Drawing from an unparalleled...