HealthMedicine

Oncomarkers of the thyroid gland. Which oncomarker shows thyroid cancer?

Cancer is a scourge of the XXI century, the further progress moves, the more cases of cancer. One of the new methods for detecting cancerous tumors is cancer markers. What is it and is it possible to trust such an analysis?

What is oncomarkers?

The word marker comes from the English verb mark, which translates as "tagging, labeling something." Oncomarker is the common name for the analysis of blood or urine for the presence of traces, that is, "tags" that leave cancerous tumors in the body at the time of inception, formation and growth.

Such traces are specific proteins or enzymes and their degradation products. Such proteins are produced either by the cancer itself or by the immune system as a reaction to oncological processes in the body.

Depending on the location of the tumor, different proteins can be formed. Accordingly, this means that oncomarkers show where there may be a cancerous tumor without an X-ray. That is why the analysis is used as a diagnostic method along with visual, such as ultrasound and x-ray.

Varieties of oncomarkers and what they show

According to the standard, the varieties of oncomarkers are more than 200. The most popular of them are the following:

  • PSA (prostate gland);
  • UBC (bladder);
  • SA125 (ovaries);
  • SA 15-3 (mammary gland);
  • SA 19-9 (stomach, intestines, pancreas);
  • SA 242 (intestines and pancreas);
  • HCG (ovaries, testicles, uterus);
  • AFP (cancer of the liver, gall bladder, ovaries, etc.);
  • B-2-MG (cancer of the blood and lymph nodes);
  • REA (cancer-embryonic antigen).

In brackets, the location of the cancer tumor is indicated, which is indicated by a specific oncomarker. As can be seen, some indicate a specific localization, while others have a variability in the diagnosis. Therefore, a combination of markers is often used. For example, if pancreatic cancer is suspected for cancer, immediately SA 242 and SA 19-9, and for ovarian cancer - AFP, SA125 and hCG. But in any case, a deviation from the norm will require comprehensive diagnosis.

When an analysis is used for tumor markers

Assign them in the following cases:

  • When a tumor is suspected, which is not visible in a visual examination;
  • For relapse control;
  • At the risk of malignancy;
  • With suspected metastases;
  • In prophylactic purposes, with hereditary and other risks;
  • As part of a comprehensive diagnosis;
  • Monitoring the success of treatment, with a positive outcome, the concentration will begin to decrease.

It is important to understand that one analysis for thyroid cancer markers is not even enough to exclude or, conversely, confirm the presence of a tumor.

Thyroid cancer

This type of cancer is rare, mostly in women and the elderly. The thyroid gland is an organ that produces many vitally important hormones. The lack or excess of which affects growth, mental development, metabolism and well-being in general. The organ is located on the front of the neck and looks like a butterfly: two lobes are connected by a thin isthmus. Due to its proximity to the surface, the location is often found early in the palpation by the patient himself, for example, with washing.

Shchitovidka has four varieties:

  1. Papillary is about 75% of all malignant tumors in the thyroid gland. It is inclined to invasive invasions into neighboring organs and lymph nodes.
  2. Follicular is the second type of thyroid cancer. The main reason is iodine deficiency. With this type of cancer, the tumor usually does not leave the thyroid.
  3. Medullary. It is very dangerous, a tumor with it practically does not accumulate radioactive iodine, which makes treatment with it ineffective.
  4. Anaplastic. This species is characterized by rapid growth and bright symptoms: hoarseness, coughing with blood, wheezing with breathing, weight loss and difficulty breathing. It is the least common, but the most dangerous.

Signs of Thyroid Cancer

Symptoms of a tumor are the following:

  • A hoarse voice;
  • A sharp fluctuation in weight;
  • Feeling depressed and losing physical strength;
  • Pain when swallowing;
  • Unexplained fever;
  • Enlarged goiter.

If there is at least one symptom, then it is already worth worrying, and when there are two of them, it is definitely worth the diagnosis. And also the diagnosis should be regularly performed by those who have a thyroid tumor in their ancestral family history.

Methods of diagnosis

The most informative diagnostic methods are the following:

  • Ultrasound of the thyroid gland;
  • Morphological study (biopsy of tumor fragment for cytological study);
  • The analysis of blood on onkomarkery a thyroid gland.

But separately, none of them is used to make a diagnosis. If a tumor is suspected when analyzing for tumor markers, ultrasound should be performed to detect the exact tumor and its exact location. If detected, a morphological study is required to determine the degree of malignancy. And only then is the diagnosis made.

Uniform increase in size indicates pathological processes in the gland. Normally, the thyroid gland in women is no more than 19 cm³ and 25 cm³ in men. A cancerous tumor is characterized by an uneven build-up, which is evident in ultrasound.

Early diagnosis of the disease can save the patient life, because in the 1 st and 2 nd stages cancer is successfully treated, and the cases of healing on the 3rd are single. At the 4th stage, doctors can do little, just prolong life and alleviate suffering.

Oncomarkers are informative about thyroid cancer

So which oncomarker shows thyroid cancer? Such oncomarkers are the hormones that the gland itself produces if it has a tumor or other degenerative changes. These are hormones such as calcitonin and thyroglobulin. In addition, the level of cancer-embryonic antigen or abbreviated REA indicates tumor growth.

Oncomarker of the thyroid gland calcitonin is produced by C-cells of the thyroid gland. It is indicative in the diagnosis of medullary type of cancer.

Thyroglobulin is produced by epithelial cells. The blood test for thyroglobulin is indicative only for papillary and follicular cancers. In case of a deviation from the norm, the tests for the level of triiodothyronine and thyroxine (T3 and T4) will be indicative.

Each has its own specificity:

  1. The level of cancer-embryonic antigen is increased at various locations of a cancerous tumor, including in the thyroid gland.
  2. The level of thyroglobulin increases usually with relapses of thyroid cancer.
  3. The hormone calcitonin rises with medullary thyroid cancer.

Preparation for analysis

For the most reliable results before submitting an analysis for thyroid cancer markers, it is recommended to fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Analysis is given in the morning on an empty stomach. Stop eating is recommended at least 8 hours before the change, but you can drink a little water.
  2. For 48 hours, stop taking any medications and nutritional supplements, alcohol.
  3. For 24 hours is better not to eat spicy, salty and smoked.
  4. Do not overexert and not be nervous if possible, under stress hormonal failures occur.
  5. For a week, stop taking hormonal drugs.

If any requirements can not be met, you should notify the lab technician of this, he will make a note. For example, the refusal to take any medication regularly involves a risk to life.

5 minutes before blood donation to the calcitonin level, the patient is given pentagastrin for stimulation.

Standards for women and men

The amount of thyroglobulin in the blood in a healthy person usually does not exceed 10 ng / ml, but a slight increase is not terrible, since the rates are slightly higher. The norms of some hormones, for example, calcitonin in men and women may differ.

Oncomarker

Thyroid norm in men

Thyroid norm in women

Thyroglobulin

From 2 mg / ml, but not more than 20 mg / ml, according to other data, the norm is up to 60 mg / ml

Calcitonin

0.68-33 mg / ml, preferably closer to 8 mg / ml

0.07-12.97 mg / ml

Cancer-embryonic antigen (CEA)

Not more than 5 ng / ml

The norms are not uniform, they differ in different laboratories. But, even having received an analysis with deviations from the norm, do not panic.

Statistics show that people often go to the laboratory bypassing the doctor, focusing on the norms, but this is not right. After all, as an isolated method of diagnosis, it is useless.

But if this happened, the analysis should be evaluated by the oncologist, who will diagnose or refute it by sending for an additional examination. It is worth remembering that in the presence of a tumor, the indicators are likely to be overstated significantly, at 10 or even 20 times. A slight increase indicates more likely a malfunction in the thyroid gland.

About 10% of healthy people have increased rates. During pregnancy, indicators can significantly increase and this is normal, since there are various hormonal changes. After the end of breast-feeding hormones should come back to normal. With age and with inflammatory processes in the body, indicators also increase.

Pros of analysis on oncomarkers before other diagnostic methods

Is it possible to trust analyzes for cancer markers, if so many factors can affect their reliability? As with any diagnostic method, there are minuses and pluses, as well as a narrow focus.

Cons of visual diagnostics:

  1. There is a risk that the tumor will not be detected, especially at an early stage.
  2. A small dose of radiation or electromagnetic radiation.

The minus of analyzes on onkomarkery is one, but serious is an inauthenticity.

If the method is perceived not as the only one, but as an auxiliary one, then all claims to it will disappear, the analysis of the area of responsibility is quite good. As the control over the resumption of growth of a distant tumor, the analysis is irreplaceable. And also it helps to control the effectiveness of treatment and the appearance of relapses after removal of the tumor. But for prophylactic diagnosis is more indicative than ultrasound. There is a risk that the tumor has already begun to develop, and oncomarkers will be negative.

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