What is considered high levels of AFP?
AFP is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). An AFP level between 10 ng/mL to 20 ng/mL is normal for adults. An extremely high level of AFP in your blood—greater than 400 ng/mL—could be a sign of liver tumors.
What does a high AFP tumor marker mean?
High levels of AFP can be a sign of liver cancer or cancer of the ovaries or testicles, as well as noncancerous liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. High AFP levels don’t always mean cancer, and normal levels don’t always rule out cancer.
How do you interpret AFP results?
Alpha fetoprotein normal range is below ten ng/ml. In the case of adults who aren’t pregnant, if the results show that there is a high level of AFP, then it indicates that you have liver disease. The AFP levels fluctuate throughout pregnancy. In pregnant women, a higher AFP level indicates Spina bifida in your fetus.
What is normal tumor marker range?
Normal range: < 2.5 ng/ml. Normal range may vary somewhat depending on the brand of assay used. Levels > 10 ng/ml suggest extensive disease and levels > 20 ng/ml suggest metastatic disease.
What causes high AFP levels?
Increased AFP levels may indicate the presence of cancer, most commonly liver cancer, cancer of the ovary, or germ cell tumor of the testicles. However, not every liver, ovarian, or testicular cancer will produce significant quantities of AFP.
What is considered a high AFP level in pregnancy?
A positive test with a high AFP suggests a birth defect like spina bifida. That’s typically a result of 2.5 times or more than the “average” level of AFP you’d expect to see at that point in your pregnancy.
What is a normal AFP value in pregnancy?
A typical normal range is 0.5 to 2.0 or 2.5 MoM. Raised levels of maternal AFP at 16-18 weeks of gestation are found in fetal neural tube defects.
What does a high AFP test result mean?
In the case of adults who aren’t pregnant, if the results show that there is a high level of AFP, then it indicates that you have liver disease. The AFP levels fluctuate throughout pregnancy. In pregnant women, a higher AFP level indicates Spina bifida in your fetus.
Can a high AFP level be a sign of cancer?
High levels of AFP can be a sign of liver cancer or cancer of the ovaries or testicles, as well as noncancerous liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. High AFP levels don’t always mean cancer, and normal levels don’t always rule out cancer. So an AFP tumor marker test is not usually used by itself to screen for or diagnose cancer.
What are the risks of having your blood drawn for AFP?
There are very few risks associated with having your blood drawn for an AFP test. You may feel slightly faint or have some soreness or pain at the puncture site. There’s a small chance of excessive bleeding or hematoma, which occurs when blood accumulates under your skin.
How often do you get abnormal AFP results?
It is important to remember that the AFP is a screening test and not a diagnostic test. This test only notes that a mother is at risk of carrying a baby with a potential disorder. There are approximately 25 to 50 abnormal test AFP results for every 1,000 pregnancies tested.