In the diagnosis of any malignant neoplasm, tumor markers play an important role. While the body is sick, substances are formed in it, which doctors reveal to make a diagnosis. They are also called tumor markers. And if they are found in the serum, this indicates one thing: the malignant process in the body has begun to develop. For this reason, people often have the question of whether there is a tumor marker for melanoma. And doctors answer unequivocally: it is. These are macromolecules that differ from standard cells. Some of them are found in the blood, and some are detected during enzyme immunoassay.
Why are they needed
A blood test for melanoma tumor markers allows you to immediately establish a number of facts. Firstly, through such a study, doctors will find out whether the neoplasm has been completely removed. Secondly, it is revealed whether the patient is at risk. And also the probability of relapse is checked, the localization of the source of education is determined.
Process
Tumor markers for skin melanoma are taken in the laboratory. The patient is requiredfasting venous blood donation. Sometimes they take it from the finger. Analyzes are made with the first suspicions of skin cancer. In addition, the detection of a melanoma tumor marker plays an important role after therapy. A decrease in its content in the blood means that the effect was correct. But if in a blood test for melanoma tumor markers their number has increased, this indicates that a relapse is beginning.
Due to the constant monitoring of the level of these substances in the body, it is possible to adjust the treatment and monitor the situation. The presence of melanoma tumor markers is detected as follows. First, urine or blood is taken in the laboratory. Then antibodies are added here. The resulting reaction serves as an eloquent description of what is happening in the patient's body.
Cancer detection problems
Skin cancer is also detected by visual examination, but without knowing which tumor marker of melanoma, how much of it is in the patient's blood, it is impossible to guess the presence of metastases. If they are not, the prognosis is favorable. And the situation will be completely different if metastases are found. To make a prognosis, melanoma tumor markers S100 and TA-90 are considered. They signal the presence of metastases in the body.
They begin to look after the initial diagnosis and the appearance of suspicions of melanoma. Additional tests help to identify metastases in other internal organs. And even with the detection of the oncomarker S 100, melanoma is not accurately determined. More research needed.
About illness
Melanoma is malignantneoplasm on the skin. As a rule, it appears when moles are reborn. Melanoma develops very quickly, and metastases can occur in the very first stages. Diagnosis must be timely. For this reason, everyone needs to know about melanoma tumor markers.
Detection mechanism
It is possible to detect the disease in this way due to the fact that the tumor produces special proteins that are abnormal. And it is their presence that is the hallmark of a tumor. The melanoma tumor marker S-100 is well studied. Its concentration in the blood, in the urine is directly dependent on the stage of development of a malignant neoplasm. If it has risen to 70%, the stage will most likely be 3rd or 4th. At the 2nd stage, it is much less, and at the very initial stage it is minimal, and it is hardly possible to detect it. For this reason, cancer is called an insidious disease, because it does not give itself away in the initial stages.
Protein S-100 can also be produced in spinal injuries. It is also actively released during hypoxia of the brain, with myocardial infarction, inflammation of the bronchi. An increased concentration of this protein accompanies Alzheimer's disease, stroke, liver failure, and even a number of mental disorders. Therefore, during the diagnosis, attention is paid to many factors. It is important to differentiate the diagnosis from a range of ailments.
Often, the detection of a protein helps to identify disruptions in brain activity before the first clear signs of damage appear.
When analysis is needed fortumor marker
Tests are not carried out at the first stage of diagnosis. After all, if the cancer has just appeared, the protein is unlikely to be detected. Examine the blood most often to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy. Compare initial results and results after treatment. Thanks to this, doctors detect relapses. They notice metastases in time, form forecasts for the further development of a malignant neoplasm.
If the tumor was removed by surgery, the analysis of the melanoma tumor marker allows you to determine whether the tumor was completely removed. If the protein remains at a high concentration, then the formation of metastases has begun. Also, the "handwriting" will be slightly different depending on which internal organ the tumor is located in.
In cases where an increased concentration was detected for the first time, the patient is re-examined in 2 different laboratories. This is done to eliminate the possibility of errors. Any person who has been treated for melanoma subsequently undergoes regular examinations for the detection of the tumor marker S-100.
Detection methods
Detection of oncomarkers is carried out by 3 methods. First, protein is found in urine. Secondly, venous blood is examined, and thirdly, cerebrospinal fluid. The second method is the most effective, it is resorted to most often. Results appear within a day. Sometimes tests are carried out urgently, in which case you only need to wait a couple of hours. It is not difficult to donate blood for such an examination. It is only necessary to strictly follow the recommendations of the doctor,you can not drink some drinks: carbonated water, strong coffee and so on. For dinner, it is better not to eat fried and fatty.
It is best to ensure that you have a calm environment the day before, so as not to suffer from nervous tension. It is important that the patient informs the doctors about all the medications that he uses before the examination. Same-day medical procedures must be performed after the patient has been tested.
Norm and transcripts
In an adult he althy person, the concentration of S-100 protein is up to 0.2 µg/l. In cerebrospinal fluids - up to 5 mcg / l. As a rule, protein in a he althy body is at a minimum concentration, but it increases if a person is engaged in intense physical activity. His results can be increased up to 4.9%. In addition, it is not considered a pathological change upwards in people of age. Over time, the concentration of protein in the body increases.
But if the results increased by 5.5% compared to normal, this indicates that melanoma develops in the body without symptoms. If the figure is above 12%, this indicates that the development of metastases has begun. If the body contains 45% more protein than needed, there are distant metastatic neoplasms in the body.
But doctors are also worried about too low a protein S-100. This suggests that the patient is suffering from heart failure. It has nothing to do with malignancy.tumors.
Analysis Accuracy
Tests can be inaccurate. Doctors know for certain that there are no 100% accurate melanoma tumor markers. And some conditions of the body can provoke a distortion of the tests. For example, if there is inflammation somewhere, an infection on the skin, there are benign tumors, cysts - all this will not allow you to accurately determine the presence of melanoma by examining the body for the presence of tumor markers.
Negative results do not in all cases indicate that the person's condition is safe, that he does not have malignant neoplasms. A sufficient amount of proteins for diagnosis is detected only by the 3rd-4th stage of the progression of the disease. This is due to the inaccuracy of the analyzes, which occurs quite often.
Blood tests are taken in the laboratory. But reagents can have a variety of standards. For this reason, research results may vary in different laboratories in one way or another. Therefore, if you suspect the presence of malignant tumors, the patient is advised to contact several laboratories. This improves the accuracy of the results. Thus, S-100 tumor markers are practically not detected for the diagnosis of melanoma. Such tests are usually needed for those who have already been diagnosed with cancer. They determine the effectiveness of the treatment.
Modern trends
The issue of more frequent use of tumor markers in diagnostics is raised in medicine. But this requires a whole range of additional measures. It should be borne in mind that so far a number of malignant neoplasms remain fewstudied. There are difficulties in this kind of research, which are associated with the inability to conduct tests on sick people. At least, this is not always possible.
At the early stages, melanoma is diagnosed using RNA and DNA tests. For this, the patient also donates blood. Sick and he althy samples are compared. As a rule, the source of cancer are genetic defects. And if this is detected in the early stages, they suggest the presence of malignant neoplasms until the moment when tumor markers appear. DNA diagnostics is still being studied and continues to improve. However, the first successes are already there: changes in the activity of genes are recorded in certain types of malignant neoplasms.
Thus, understanding the issues of melanoma tumor markers, you need to take into account that there is not one that can 100% determine the presence of cancer in the body. And even if their concentration is increased, this does not mean at all that a person is suffering from an oncological disease. In any case, it is necessary to consult a doctor, diagnose, treat - all this is carried out taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient, circumstances.
