Circulating Tumor Markers: Basic Concepts and Clinical Applications

What is the lifetime risk for women dying of cancer? a. 19% b. 23% c. 43% d. 59%

Select the appropriate letter regarding tumor marker tests: i. Screen for cancer ii. Aid in staging of cancer iii. Monitor response to therapy iv. Detect recurrent disease a. All of the above b. i, ii, and iii c. ii, iii, and iv d. i, ii, and iv e. iv

Tumor markers may be defined as a. Biologic substances synthesized and released by cancer cells or substances produced by the host in response to cancer cells b. Analytic tests (e.g., immunoassays) used to mark cancer cells c. Radioactive substances and chemicals used to help the physician identify cancer cells d. None of these

Which of the following is an oncofetal antigen? a. AFP b. CA-125 c. β-hCG d. CEA

What are the major limitations of tumor markers? a. Sensitivity and specificity b. Cost c. Turnaround time d. Imprecision

The major clinical use for CA 15-3 is monitoring treatment response of a. Ovarian carcinoma b. Colorectal cancer c. Prostatic cancer d. Breast cancer

The most common immunoassays used to measure PSA detect which form of the enzyme? a. Total PSA b. Free PSA c. PSA complexed with α1-antichymotrypsin d. PSA complexed with α2-macroglobulin

Which of the following enzymes is commonly used as a tumor marker? a. LD b. Lipase c. PSA d. ALT

A tumor marker used in the assessment of choriocarcinoma or hydatidiform mole is a. β-hCG b. CEA c. AFP d. IgG

A serum PSA is used for all of the following except a. Diagnosis b. Screening c. Monitoring response d. Detecting recurrence

The following serum PSA measurements were obtained from two male patients who were being monitored over an 18-week period. Which of the following statements most accurately describes these data? a. Patient A may have a more aggressive prostate cancer based on the velocity of these measurements. b. Patient A is most likely to have benign prostate cancer. c. Patient B is most likely to be experiencing an inflammatory reaction, and this is largely contributing to the elevated PSA above 100 ng/mL. d. Patient B may have a more aggressive prostate cancer based on the velocity of these measurements. e. Answers a and c most accurately describe these data

. When measuring tumor markers in the clinical laboratory, which of the following has been reported to contribute to 30% to 70% of the total amount of error? a. Preanalytical errors b. Analytical errors c. Hook effect d. Using different immunoassay methods e. Not comparing lot numbers between ELISA kits

Which of the following methods is commonly used to measure endocrine metabolites? a. Protein electrophoresis b. Immunoassays c. HPLC d. Electrochemistry e. Gas chromatography