Is it possible to have normal tumor markers and normal liver functions while having a cancer?
hello ,
my dad had pain on the right side, in hospital we did an MRI and a x scan wich showed multiple (full) spots on liver.
his tumor marker blood tests are very normal.
cea, ca-19-9, psa, lipase, amylase, crp,ggt, gpt,rbc,cbc, billrubin all are normal, only the AFP level wa s little bit high ( 146) normal range is between 0-4.
a biopsy is scheduled next week because he took an aspirine pill.but we are affaid that this spots are caused by cancer.
is it possible to have normal tumor markers and normal liver functions while having a cancer?
thank u
Hi..
AFP is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). AFP is a protein that is found at high levels in fetal blood, but normally disappears once the baby is born. AFP levels increase in the presence of HCC and can be a marker of the development of liver cancer..
It can simply increase the suspicion that the spots are cancerous however the ultimate test is Biopsy..
So in case if it is high then further screening is mandatory and biopsy will give you an exact picture..
To perform a biopsy, a piece of the tumor is removed and evaluated in the labratory. This can be done surgically during an exploratory laporatomy, where the surgeon makes a long incision to expose the abdominal contents (including the liver) for inspection. A surgeon can also perform a biopsy by laparoscopy, inserting a fiberoptic camera through a small hole in the abdomen and using this camera to help find where the biopsy needs to be taken. Biopsies can also be performed under the guidance of ultrasound, CT, or MRI where a long needle is used to suck out a small piece of the tumor tissue. Transvenous biopsies can be performed by inserting a catheter into a vein (usually in the neck) and guiding the catheter through veins to the liver. A needle within the catheter is used to obtain a piece of the tumor. Whatever the procedure used to obtain the biopsy, the tissue is then sent to a pathologist who looks at the tissue under a microscope
to determine whether the tumor is
cancerous or not.
Hope he gets a negative report..
Regards..