Women's Cancer Screen

ALPHA FETOPROTEIN TUMOUR - This is a blood test to look for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in your blood. AFP is normally made by a fetus's liver and yolk sac. It's the main protein during the first three months of development. AFP greatly decreases by age 1 and should only be found in adults in very low levels. AFP is one of several tumour markers. Tumour markers are molecules in the blood that are higher when a person has certain cancers. AFP is found mainly in liver cancer and non seminomatous germ cell tumours, which are rare.

Beta-hCG (β-hCG) is a test that measures the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the blood. This hormone is produced as soon as 10 days after conception. In healthy pregnancies, levels of hCG increase rapidly in early pregnancy. An above-normal level can confirm pregnancy.

This test measures the amount of a protein called CA-125 (cancer antigen 125) in the blood. CA-125 levels are high in many women with ovarian cancer. The ovaries are a pair of female reproductive glands that store ova (eggs) and make female hormones. Ovarian cancer happens when there is uncontrolled cell growth in a woman's ovary.

Cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) is a protein that is produced by normal breast cells. In many people with cancerous breast tumours, there is an increased production of CA 15-3 and the related cancer antigen 27.29. CA 15-3 does not cause cancer; rather, it is shed by the tumour cells and enters the blood. This test measures CA 15-3 in the blood. Since CA 15-3 can be measured in the blood, it is useful as a tumour marker to follow the course of the cancer.

Cancer antigen 19.9 refers to a tumor marker associated with pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, colon cancer and gastric cancer, and also called a gastrointestinal related antigen. Cancer antigen 19.9 has higher sensitivity and better specificity for pancreatic cancer, and its positive rate is between 85% and 95% and it decreases with the improvement of the condition after surgery.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a protein found in many types of cells but associated with tumours and the developing fetus.CEA is tested in blood. Benign conditions that can increase CEA include smoking, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and some benign tumours (in the same organs which have cancers with increased CEA). Benign disease does not usually cause a CEA increase over 10 ng/ml.The main use of CEA is as a tumour marker, especially with intestinal cancer. The most common cancers that elevate CEA are in the colon and rectum. Others: cancer of the pancreas, stomach, breast, lung, and certain types of thyroid and ovarian cancer.