What does the AFP alpha-fetoprotein test detect?
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is used as a tumor marker to help detect and diagnose cancers of the liver, testicles, and ovaries.
What happens if an AFP test is positive?
What does it mean if my AFP PLUS test result is screen positive? A positive AFP PLUS test means that you are in a higher likelihood group for having a baby with a neural tube defect or a chromosome abnormality. However, it does not prove by itself that there is anything wrong with the pregnancy.
Is AFP screening necessary?
The AFP or triple screen test is optional. If you do not desire any further prenatal diagnostic information, don’t get the test. If you want all the prenatal diagnostic information you can get so that you may prepare yourself for a potential special needs child or would consider termination, then get the test.
How accurate is AFP Screening?
75% to 90% of babies with neural tube #defects are discovered through AFP screening. Abnormal test results warrant additional testing for making a diagnosis.
Why is AFP high?
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.
What is an abnormal AFP result?
What do the results mean? If your results show higher than normal AFP levels, it may mean your baby has a neural tube defect such as spina bifida, a condition in which the bones of the spine don’t close around the spinal cord, or anencephaly, a condition in which the brain does not develop properly.
What happens if AFP is high?
What is AFP normal range?
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. High levels of AFP may mean other cancers, including Hodgkin disease, lymphoma, and renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer).
What is the alpha fetoprotein, what is clinical significance?
An alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test is a blood test that measures the amount of AFP present in blood . It’s usually part of what’s called a triple screen or quad screen in the second trimester of pregnancy. However, it can also be useful for adults who aren’t pregnant. The yolk sac, GI tract, and liver of an unborn baby produce AFP.
What are normal AFP levels in pregnancy?
Increased levels of AFP in prenatal blood test can be an indication of open neural tube defect and Down syndrome . Normal Value Range. Negative Pregnancy Adult: < 15 ng/mL or < 15 µg/liter. Pregnancy Trimester One: 18 to 119 ng/mL or 18 to 119 µg/liter. Pregnancy Trimester Two: 96 to 302 ng/mL or 96 to 302 µg/liter.
What does elevated AFP mean?
Elevated alpha-fetoprotein. Elevated alpha-fetoprotein refers to a state where alpha-fetoprotein levels are outside of the reference range. There are two categories of AFP tests: tests performed on serum (blood plasma), and tests performed on amniotic fluid.
What does alpha fetoprotein mean?
alpha fetoprotein. /al·pha fe·to·pro·tein/ (fe″to-pro´tēn) a plasma protein produced by the fetal liver, yolk sac, and gastrointestinal tract and also by hepatocellular carcinoma, germ cell neoplasms, other cancers, and some benign hepatic diseases in adults.