Liver Onco Marker Profile

The Liver Onco Marker Profile measures the levels of AFP, CEA, and HCG levels in the blood.

Primary liver cancer being relatively uncommon, often goes undetected due to the lack of specific signs and symptoms. Some symptoms that may require further testing may include:

• Right abdominal pain.
• Jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin)
• White chalky stools
• Loss of appetite
• Abnormal weight loss with malaise.
• Abdominal bloating
• History of liver cirrhosis
• Chronic Hepatitis infection

Following patients may also be at risk of liver cancers and may also require testing:

• Patients already undergoing treatment for cancer.
• Patients who have completed the treatment to know the disease status.
• Familial history of liver cancers or liver disorders having a genetic component.
• Presence of high risk factors for liver cancers like alcoholism, smoking, fatty liver diseases, high diabetic etc.

This test requires a blood sample. A tourniquet (elastic) band is placed tightly on the upper arm. The patient is then asked to make a fist. This helps in the build-up of blood filling the veins. The skin is disinfected before needle insertion and the blood sample is collected in vacutainer.

None.

CEA test

A gross increase of CEA in a patient with compatible symptoms are suggestive of the presence of cancer. The results of this test when done over an interval help monitor condition of the patient and his response to treatment.

CEA levels fall after successful treatment to normal levels in 1-4 months

Levels may increase in certain non-cancerous conditions like smoking, hepatic disease, trauma, ulcerative colitis, pancreatitis, cirrhosis, COPD, Crohn's disease and hypothyroidism.

Patients should do a follow-up testing preferably through the same laboratory as different assays can give different result values on the same sample

AFP-Alpha Feto Protein Test (AFP Test)

High AFP levels can be seen in hepatocellular carcinoma, non-seminomatous germ cell tumors and yolk sac tumors of the ovary.

Occasional high AFP is seen in gastric and pancreatic carcinoma, cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, lymphoma, lung cancer

This test should not be used for diagnosis of cancer in isolation, as both false positive and negatives can occur.

HCG serum Test

Increased HCG levels may sometimes be seen in gestational trophoblastic diseases and certain germ cell tumours (benign and cancerous). HCG test along with other tests may thus be a useful marker in liver cancer diagnosis.

• AFP test
• CEA test
• HCG test
• Liver cancer test

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a glycoprotein and its concentration in blood increases in certain tumours i.e., colorectal cancer, medullary thyroid carcinoma, breast, gastrointestinal tract, liver, lung, ovarian, pancreatic and prostatic cancers.

It is often used for monitoring colorectal & gastrointestinal cancer patients and their response to treatment. 

AFP is normally made by a fetal liver and yolk sac. The test is done as part of cancer diagnosis to know the liver or pancreatic involvement due to cancer.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced by the placenta and is normally measurable only during pregnancy. Certain tumor cells cause the secretion of HCG making it an important marker for cancer testing.