AFP (Serum)
Sample: Serum, 0,5 mL
Schedule: Daily
Units: IU/mL
Factor: IU/mL x 1.21 = ng/mL
Range: Less than 10 IU/mL for Cancer; 1.5 - 2.5 MoM for Pregnancy (See below)
Remarks:
AFP in Cancer: In cancer patients AFP is mainly produced by the following tumours:
- Primary Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Germ cells tumours
However, normal serum level of AFP does not rules out the diagnosis of such tumours. As with all tumour markers, AFP is best used for monitoring the course of the therapy. For Germ cells tumours, AFP as a tumour marker should be used in combination with hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin):
Assessing cancer with AFP and hCG
| Disease | AFP | hCG |
|---|---|---|
| Gastric carcinoma Hepatocellular carcinoma Lung carcinoma Pancreas carcinoma Blader carcinoma Renal carcinoma Seminoma Non malignant liver disease Bening genitourinary diseas | Pos | Pos |
AFP in Pregnancy:
Range : 0.7 -2.5 MoM (Multiple of the Media for the pregnancy age)
Low serum levels of MoM AFP and MoM hCG are found in the 1st and 2nd trimesters in mother with Downs Syndrome pregnancy while high AFP MoM are observed in Neural Tube Disease syndrome. The combination of AFP, hCG and uE3 (unconjugated estriol) improve the the predictive value of AFP alone as screening test for Down Syndrome.
