Table 1.
Tumor marker characteristics.
| Tumor marker | Clinical use in gynecological oncology | Production site in normal adult | Production site during pregnancy | Molecular weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate antigen 15-3 | Breast cancer | Glandular epithelia | Uncertain (maternal mammary gland epithelium? placenta?) |
290 kDa |
| Squamous cell carcinoma antigen | Cervical squamous cell cancer | Squamous epithelia (both benign and malignant) | Uncertain (fetus?) |
42 kDa |
| Carbohydrate antigen 125 | Non-mucinous ovarian cancer | Structures derived from the celomic epithelium (such as endocervix, endometrium, and fallopian tube) and in tissues developed from mesothelial cells (such as pleura, pericardium and peritoneum) | Decidua and amnion cells | 200 to 250 kDa |
| Inhibin B | Granulosa cell tumors (some (mucinous) epithelial ovarian tumors) |
Granulosa and theca cells (member of the transforming growth factor-β family) | Granulosa and theca cells | Monomer 15 kDa, homodimer 25 kDa |
| Anti-Müllerian hormone | Granulosa cell tumors | Granulosa cells of ovarian follicles (member of the transforming growth factor-β family) | Sertoli cells of male fetus, for regression of Müllerian ducts | 140 kDa |
| Lactate dehydrogenase | Germ cell tumors | Cell cytoplasm | Cell cytoplasm | 140 kDa |