Tumor Markers

Tumor markers are substances that can be found in the body (usually in the blood or urine) when cancer is present. Along with other tests, tumor markers can be used to help show if cancer is present, to determine the type of cancer, and in some cases to help show if treatment is working. Some of the more common tumor markers are discussed here. Click on the topics below to get started.

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• What are tumor markers?
• How are tumor markers used?
• The drawbacks of tumor markers
• Specific tumor markers
• Common cancers and the tumor markers linked to them
• What should you ask your doctor about tumor markers?
• What`s new in tumor marker research?
• Additional resources
• References