It is without a doubt that medical practitioners want to know as much as possible about each person’s cancer. No wonder, in some instances, they may recommend tumor marker testing during different stages of diagnosis. If you’ve been thinking about visiting a centre that offers Cancer markers screening Singapore, then today is your lucky today.
In this article, we will take you through some of the things you probably did not know about tumor marker test for cancer. Keep on reading to find out more.
What are Tumor Markers?
For those who might not know, tumor markers are substances present in higher-than-normal level in the blood, urine, or tissues of some cancer patients. Commonly referred to as biomarkers, they can be made by the tumor or cells in response to the tumor. Thanks to tumor marker tests, doctors get to check to see if you have these substances in your body in what amounts.
When combined with other tests, tumor marker tests help medical practitioners diagnose cancer and recommend a treatment plan for an individual. You should however keep in mind that how, when, and how often these tests are conducted tends to vary from one person to the other.
Limitations of Tumor Marker Tests
Even though tumor markers play a vital role in providing doctors with a lot of helpful information, they also come with some limitations. Simply because an individual happens to have tumor markers, it is not to say cancer is present or has come back. After all, there are other different conditions aside from cancer that can raise tumor marker levels.
With that said, one of the biggest limitations of these tests is that tumor markers can go up and down over time. This, in turn, makes it hard to measure them consistently. Furthermore, some people don’t have higher tumor marker levels even if the type of cancer they have usually makes tumor markers.
The Bottom Line
There you have it, some of the things you probably did not know about tumor marker tests for cancer. Remember, there are three ways your doctor can test for tumor markers, a blood test, a urine test, or a biopsy. Either way, you need to be sure that you are counting on a reputable medical centre that offers Cancer markers screening Singapore. It is then that you will be in a better position to reap maximum benefits.
Lina Mark is the Partner and Editor-In-Chief at Keulj.us. She loves technology and is always hooked on new technology in the market. You will often find her browsing the web for interesting content (mostly sci-fi and tech). She is addicted to movies (mainly action) and loves to read interesting books every once in a while.