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Tumour markers |
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What are tumour makers? - Chemical which can be detected in the blood which may correlate with the presence of cancer. Sometimes they can also rise with non cancerous conditions such as infection or inflammation. How are tumour markers useful? - There are numerous blood test available which may be associated with cancer. These can be used to help detect cancer such as the PSA but more commonly they help to monitor the response to treatment. The blood tests in routine use in the UK are:- [1] PROSTATE CANCER PSA doubling time [2] OVARIAN CANCER CA125 [3] COLORECTAL CARCINOMA CEA [3] UPPER GI CA19-9 [3] TESTICULAR CANCER alpha feto protein Beta HCG Further general information Your doctors and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to give you relevant information on your disease and treatment as they know your individual circumstances. Cancerbackup has a help line (0808 800 1234) and a prize winning video available in English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati & Hindi explaining Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk has over 500 pages describing cancer, its management, practical tips and tool which patients, their carers and their doctors have found helpful during the cancer journey. |
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