CA-72-4 | Gastric Cancer Marker

CA 72-4 is a tumor marker most commonly used to monitor the course of gastric cancer and evaluate treatment effectiveness. It can also be used in conjunction with other markers, especially CA 125, to assess the progression of ovarian carcinoma. CA 72-4 is not suitable for primary cancer diagnosis, but changes in its concentration can help assess disease progression, recurrence, or response to applied therapy.

Increased CA 72-4 concentration is most often found in gastric adenocarcinoma, but it can also be elevated in other gastrointestinal or gynecological tumors. A slight increase in this marker may also be observed in some benign conditions, such as lung inflammation, pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, or ovarian cysts.

Test principle: CA 72-4 concentration is determined by an immunochemical method from venous blood. Results are presented in U/ml. The test is assessed dynamically – sequential changes are more significant than a single result.

Recommendations:

• Recommended for patients with gastric cancer for monitoring treatment.
• Useful in assessing disease progression, recurrence, or response to treatment.
• Used in conjunction with CA 125 to evaluate ovarian tumor progression.
• Performed when gastrointestinal or gynecological tumors are suspected.
• Slight changes can also occur in benign conditions, so the test should be evaluated together with other clinical and laboratory data.
• It is recommended to come for the test fasting for at least 12 hours.