Question

Describe the mechanisms that confine cells and tissues to a specific anatomic site. Discuss the use of tumor markers in cancer diagnoses. Which types of cancer can be diagnosed in this manner? How do tumor markers work? What are the markers actually measuring?

Answer 1

• mechanism

during the lifespan, it is normal that various body tissues undergo periods of rapid and proliferative growth. there are several cell growth exist: hyperplasia, metaplasia, dysplasia, anaplasia and neoplasia.

Cancer is a disease process when an abnormal cell is transformed by genetic mutation of the cellular DNA. this abnormal cells form a clone and start to proliferate abnormally. also, this cells have invasive characteristics and affect surrounding tissues as well. these cells infiltrate the surrounding tissues and gain access to lymph nodes and blood vessels, later these channels carry mutated cells and cause metastasis.

cancerous cells are neoplasms; its cell growth is uncontrolled that follows np physiological purpose, that means it is neoplasia.

• use of tumour markers

the cell membrane of the cancer cells contains some protein ,which used as tumour markers

tumour markers are a substance that found in blood, body fluids, and tissues that are produced by cancer cells with regard to the type of cancer. tumour markers can be useful to detect the presence of some types of cancer and it is not a valued diagnostic tool for cancer diagnosis.

some tumour markers are;

CA15-3 - breast cancer.
CA19-9 -gastrointestinal tumours.
CA-125 -ovarian cancers.
PSA - prostate cancers.
CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) - gastrointestinal, pancreatic, breast, and lung cancers.

• as said, tumour markers helps to diagnose cancer in breast, colon lung, ovarian, testicular, prostate
• tumour markers distinguish from malignant cells from benign cells of the same tissue type.it is used to measure the extent of disease in a person and in tracking the course of illness during treatment or relapse.