LABORATORY EVALUATION OF TUMOR BIOMARKERS

Course overview

CANCER IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH WORLDWIDE AND THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES. CANCER AFFECTS INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE ENTIRE LIFESPAN. TUMOR BIOMARKERS ARE PROTEINS, ENZYMES, ANTIGENS, OR GENETIC MATERIAL THAT MAY INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF CANCER. HOWEVER, MANY OF THE SUBSTANCES ARE DETECTABLE IN THE ABSENCE OF MALIGNANCY. THE QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF TUMOR BIOMARKERS USING LABORATORY ASSAYS IS A VALUABLE ONCOLOGIC TOOL. TUMOR BIOMARKER ASSAYS MAY PERMIT THE DETECTION OF MALIGNANCY, PLAY A ROLE IN TREATMENT PLANNING, AND ARE FREQUENTLY EMPLOYED IN MONITORING TREATMENT RESPONSES AND SURVEILLANCE OF POTENTIAL RECURRENCE.THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CLINICAL UTILITY OF THE TUMOR BIOMARKERS MOST COMMONLY ASSAYED IN CURRENT ONCOLOGIC CLINICAL PRACTICE, EXPLORES THE BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF VARIOUS TESTING PROCEDURES, DISCUSSES SPECIMEN COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS, AND DELINEATES THE IMPACT OF INTERFERENCES ON TEST ACCURACY. THE ACTIVITY ALSO REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE TEAM IN EMPLOYING TUMOR BIOMARKER ASSAYS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES AND DECREASE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER.