Prostate-specific antigen

Product Description

Alpha-Fetoprotein Tumor Marker (Blood) Does this test have other names?
AFP
What is this test?

This is a blood test to look for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in your blood.
AFP is normally made by a fetus's liver and yolk sac. It's the main protein during the first three months of development. AFP greatly decreases by age 1 and should only be found in adults in very low levels.

AFP is one of several tumor markers. Tumor markers are molecules in the blood that are higher when a person has certain cancers. AFP is found mainly in liver cancer and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors, which are rare. These are found in the pineal gland in the brain.Some people with cirrhosis or chronic active hepatitis also have higher blood levels of AFP. 

You may have this test if your health care provider suspects you have liver cancer, testicular cancer, or cancers of the brain, mediastinum, or blood.This test is also used to watch cancer treatment or see if cancer has come back after treatment.  

What other tests might I have along with this test?

If your doctor suspects you have liver cancer, you may also have:
Liver function tests, or LFTs. These tests look at the part of your liver that is not affected by cancer to see how well your liver is working. The tests look for levels of certain substances in your blood, such as bilirubin, albumin, ALP, AST, ALT, and GGT