Most people over 50 years old verbalize understanding of what the PSA test is, and quake when we get results that are above the normal. Cancer of the prostate is our unspoken fear.
Likewise, any woman who has ovarian cancer acknowledges the importance of the CA-125. It’s presence signifies a possible death sentence for the woman.
What is particularly sad about both of these ‘biomarkers’ is that they are not diagnostic. Additional tests, often painful, are still needed. And, for the woman with recurring ovarian cancer with a high CA-125 but not positive imaging tests indicating the ‘return of the beast’, it is a waiting game. Many times, the oncologists will not start treatment until X-rays indicate the cancer has recurred.
Both of the above biomarkers are composed of protein. An interesting composite of protein biomarkers (or lipid/fat biomarkers) is that a glycan (sugar molecule) is usually attached.
The National Cancer Institute has turned its attention to these sugar molecules as a more sensitive indicator of the presence of cancer.
The future is now, and we will not have to wait for generations for this to be available. In the very near future, a biomarker for liver cancer is anticipated. Exciting news for anyone who has ever played the ‘waiting game’ associated with cancer (i.e. waiting for the diagnosis).
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