What are Tumor markers ??

Tumor markers are substances that are produced by cancer cells or by other cells of the body in response to cancer or certain benign (noncancerous) conditions. Most tumor markers are made by normal cells as well as by cancer cells; however, they are produced at much higher levels in cancerous conditions. These substances can be found in the blood, urine, stool, tumor tissue, or other tissues or bodily fluids of some patients with cancer. Most tumor markers are proteins. However, more recently, patterns of gene expression and changes to DNA have also begun to be used as tumor markers. Markers of the latter type are assessed in tumor tissue specifically.

Thus far, more than 20 different tumor markers have been characterized and are in clinical use. Some are associated with only one type of cancer, whereas others are associated with two or more cancer types. There is no “universal” tumor marker that can detect any type of cancer.

There are some limitations to the use of tumor markers. Sometimes, noncancerous conditions can cause the levels of certain tumor markers to increase. In addition, not everyone with a particular type of cancer will have a higher level of a tumor marker associated with that cancer. Moreover, tumor markers have not been identified for every type of cancer.

* Cancer means lots of tests? But they are all valid, so do them. Sometimes I wanted to just cry and say not another test leave me alone. But really its better to know and check so they know what to do. In the last 19 years I have noticed lots of testing improvements from my first cancer. Trust you are in the right hands. If you think that you aren't get a second opinion.

#iamstillawoman #markers #tumour #typesofcancer

Comments

"Hard nipples" - areola or nipple skin

Someone once wrote"... when i get really cold, or get goosebumbs all over my body, the whole things really scrunch up, like, my entire areola scrunches itself up into a wrinkled little mound. it looks really weird and ugly, and i haven't ever seen other people's breasts do it. what is wrong with my areola/nipples??" The answer: Well nothing is wrong. This is what my areola does too. It's a normal reaction to the coldness or to irritation / stimulation. The little muscles in the areola do a similar goosebump thing as your other skin can do. People often call this phenomenon "hard nipples". Also note that skin on areola has less feeling or sensation to it than other areas of your body. If the areola was very sensitive, then breastfeeding would probably be quite uncomfortable because the baby pulls and tugs it! The nipples are sensitive but the sensitivity changes with hormonal changes, such as occur at mestrual cycle or pregnancy. Also this v...

Monumental cleavage alert! Did Natalie Portman get a boob job?

Black Swan Oscar winner Natalie Portman has sparked feverish debate about whether or not she's had a boob job, after she appeared on camera at an American football game looking bustier than before. The 31-year-old, who gave birth to son Aleph in June 2011, was watching the game in Austin, Texas during a break from shooting the as-yet-untitled new Terrence Malick film. With co-star Michael Fassbender by her side, a newly blonde Natalie was spotted by the cameras during the ABC broadcast. While it could very well be a push-up bra, or a consequence of breast-feeding her bub, Twitter fans immediately speculated about the star's potentially enhanced assets. "Natalie Portman @ the Texas-Baylor game ... boob job? Looks like it!" one user wrote. "Wait a second, did Natalie Portman get a boob job? Is she pregnant? On the sidelines of Texas game and #wow," another tweeted. Comments on the YouTube clip ran along the same lines, albeit many of them ...

Loosing a parent!

When a Parent Dies: Dealing with the Loss of Your Mother or Father By David Kessler This is spot on. I guess until you go through this you will never know. #parents #love #grief #davidkessler #survivor #iamstillawoman When a parent of an adult dies, there is almost an unspoken expectation that it will not hit you head on. An adult is expected to accept death as a part of life, to handle all sudden losses in an appropriate adult manner. But really, what does that mean? That you should not be sad? That you should be so grateful they didn’t die when you were a child that you don’t need to mourn your parent? The above considerations demonstrate an under-estimation of grief. Grief is the reflection of the connection that has been lost. That loss does not diminish because you are an adult or because your mother or father lived a long life. Our society places enormous pressure on us to get over loss, to get through the grief. But how long do you grieve for the man who...

I am still a woman - Confessions of a twice cancer survivor - my journey by Nina Ann McCurley

Search This Blog