What tests do you offer to help diagnose cancer and assess cancer risk?

• Cancer antigen 15-3 – useful in monitoring the response to treatment of breast cancer and to detect recurrence of the disease
• Cancer antigen 19-9 – elevated in pancreatic cancer and may also be elevated in colorectal cancer
• Cancer antigen 125 – elevation may indicate ovarian cancer
• Cancer antigen 72-4 – elevation may indicate ovarian cancer
• Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) – Colorectal, lung, breast, thyroid, pancreatic, liver, cervix, and bladder
• Alpha-fetoprotein – Normally elevated during pregnancy; may indicate liver, cancer of ovaries or testes
• Estrogens – elevated estrogens increase the risk of estrogen receptor cancers (breast and uterine cancer in women)
• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) – elevated PSA can indicate prostate cancer
• Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – the steroid hormone DHT may be involved in the onset of prostate cancer

What other factors can increase the risk of cancer?

• Genetics or a family history of cancer
• Toxic metal exposure
• Poor immune system function
• Smoking
• Working the night shift
• Physical inactivity
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Chronic inflammatory conditions – for example, irritable bowel disease (IBD) can increase the risk of colorectal cancer
• Viral infection – human papillomavirus (HPS) and Hepatitis B have both been linked to cancer

To schedule a consultation to discuss cancer diagnosis or cancer risk testing, call our office at (480) 883-7240.