Description
Why It’s Done
1. Monitor Treatment Response
• Used to track how well a patient is responding to treatment for:
o Gastric cancer
o Ovarian cancer
o Colorectal cancer
2. Detect Recurrence
• Regular monitoring after cancer treatment to check for cancer recurrence.
3. Support Diagnosis
• Sometimes used alongside other tumor markers like CA 19-9, CEA, or CA 125 to support diagnosis when cancer is suspected.
4. Assess Disease Progression
• Helps in assessing how advanced the cancer is in known cases.
Note: CA 72-4 is not specific and should always be interpreted in combination with other clinical evaluations and tests.
Preparation
1. Fasting
• No fasting required.
• The test is done using a blood sample from a vein.
2. Medications
• Inform your doctor of all medications, supplements, or treatments you’re taking.
• Generally, no medications need to be stopped before the test, unless advised by your healthcare provider.
3. Other Considerations
• CA 72-4 may be elevated in some benign conditions, such as:
o Liver cirrhosis
o Pelvic inflammatory disease
o Benign ovarian cysts
• Because of this, results should always be interpreted in clinical context.
