What are lung tumor markers?

Mondo Health Updated on 2024-02-01

Lung tumors are a common malignancy, and early detection and diagnosis are essential for ** and prognosis. In addition to routine medical imaging, lung tumor markers are also an adjunct to diagnosis. This article will introduce the common tests for lung tumor markers and their significance.

1.Calherin (CYFRA21-1):

Cadherin is a cytokeratin protein that is highly expressed in lung cancer cells. It is a specific marker for squamous cell carcinoma and has high accuracy in differentiating squamous cell carcinoma from other types of lung cancer.

Detection of cadherin can help diagnose squamous cell carcinoma early and observe disease progression and prognosis in the process.

2.Neuron-specific enolase (NSE):

NSE is a marker of neuroendocrine tumor, particularly small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer is a highly malignant subtype of lung cancer, and elevated NSEs correlate with disease burden and prognosis. Therefore, detection of NSE can assist in early diagnosis and evaluation of the effectiveness of small cell lung cancer.

3.Neuron-specific enolase (PROGRP):

PROGRP is a neuroendocrine tumor marker that is also mainly used for the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of small cell lung cancer.

Compared with NSE, PROGRP is more specific and sensitive, especially for the diagnosis of early-stage small cell lung cancer.

4.Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA):

CEA is a marker widely used in cancer screening and surveillance. Although the elevation of CEA is not specific to lung cancer, it still has certain clinical significance for the early diagnosis, effect monitoring, and prognosis evaluation of lung adenocarcinoma and other types of non-small cell lung cancer.

5.Cationic insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2):

IGFBP-2 is a protein associated with growth factors, and its elevation is associated with the development and progression of lung cancer. IGFBP-2 has some potential in early diagnosis, response monitoring, and prognosis assessment, but more studies are still needed to validate its clinical application.

In conclusion, lung tumor markers are an auxiliary diagnostic tool that can help early detection and diagnosis of lung tumors and provide guidance for effect monitoring and prognosis assessment. However, it should be noted that these markers are not specific indicators of lung cancer, and clinical diagnosis needs to be combined with other imaging and pathological examination results to make a comprehensive judgment. In addition, the range of reference values and sensitivity of markers can also be affected by individual differences and other factors, so they should be interpreted with caution when applying them in clinical practice. January Creation Incentive Program

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