Tumor Marker Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of tumor markers according to the text?

To indicate the presence of cancer in the body
To locate the specific organ affected by cancer
To monitor the activity and size of tumors (correct)
To definitively diagnose cancer

Which criteria does an ideal tumor marker need to fulfill?

Organ specificity and unrelated to prognosis
Low specificity and not measurable by lab tools
Low sensitivity and low specificity
High sensitivity and high specificity (correct)

What is the primary limitation of using tumor markers alone for cancer diagnosis?

They cannot be measured by standard lab tools
They may also be elevated in non-cancerous conditions (correct)
They are only specific to certain types of cancer
They do not show any correlation with prognosis

In which stage of clinical oncology are tumor markers used for determining the extent of cancer spread?

Staging (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why may some potential tumor markers initially cause great excitement but later prove to be no more useful than existing markers?

They are also elevated in non-cancerous conditions (A) Signup and view all the answers

True or false: Tumor markers are always specific for a particular type of cancer.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

True or false: Most tumor markers can only be detected in blood samples.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

True or false: An ideal tumor marker should not be present in healthy persons.

True (A) Signup and view all the answers

True or false: Tumor marker level is not correlated with prognosis.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

True or false: Tumor markers are not used for screening in clinical oncology.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Explain the purpose of tumor markers according to the text.

Tumor markers are proteins produced in response to cancer growth or by the cancer tissue itself, detected in blood, urine, or tissue samples, and used for screening, diagnosis, staging, prognosis, localization, and monitoring in clinical oncology. Signup and view all the answers

What are the six criteria that an ideal tumor marker should fulfill?

<ol> <li>High sensitivity, 2. High specificity, 3. Measurable by a certain lab tool, 4. Organ specificity, 5. Correlation with prognosis, 6. Direct proportionality to tumor activity and/or size.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

List three applications of tumor markers in clinical oncology.

<ol> <li>Screening, 2. Diagnosis, 3. Staging</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

Why are some potential tumor markers initially exciting but later prove to be no more useful than existing markers?

Upon further investigation, some potential tumor markers may not fulfill the criteria of high sensitivity, high specificity, organ specificity, or correlation with prognosis, making them no more useful than existing markers. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary limitation of using tumor markers alone for cancer diagnosis?

Tumor markers alone are not diagnostic for cancer, as most well-known markers may also be elevated in non-cancerous conditions. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Purpose of Tumor Markers

Tumor markers are substances produced by cancer or in response to it, used in blood, urine, or tissue for various clinical oncology tasks.

Ideal Tumor Marker Criteria

An ideal tumor marker must be highly sensitive and specific, measurable, organ-specific, correlated with prognosis, and proportional to tumor activity/size.

Tumor Marker Limitation

Tumor markers alone may not be enough for accurate cancer diagnosis as they may be present in non-cancerous conditions.