The AFP analysis is one of the important analyzes that reveal the proportions of protein in the body, through which the various signs or indications that predict the presence of cancers in the body are discovered. And others you can get through the site Ocean.
What is an AFP . analysis?
Alpha-fetoprotein analysis is one of the important analyzes for measuring different levels of protein in adults, and this helps in detecting and appearing different signs of tumors,
Which later works on the formation of cancerous cells in the body, in addition to some liver diseases, including hepatitis and cirrhosis, which are non-cancerous diseases.
It is worth noting that high AFP levels do not necessarily represent the presence of cancer, and therefore the analysis is often not used to diagnose and detect cancerous tumors.
But the analysis is often used with a group of other tests to diagnose cancer, in addition to using the analysis to verify the effectiveness of cancer treatment and to ensure that the body is free of disease or its return again.
Also read more of the following: Detailed information on urine analysis
Information on AFP . Analysis
It can be said that the analysis of AFP reveals the percentage of high and low protein in the blood, as this protein is formed mainly by the cells of the fetal liver,
As well as the umbilical cord sacs (which can be called yolk sacs), as alpha-fetoprotein is the primary protein in the first three months of a fetus’s life.
When the fetus reaches the first year of its life, the percentage of this protein decreases significantly. Under normal and healthy conditions, its percentage in adults should be very low, and vice versa.
When a person suffers from certain health conditions, especially when they have certain types of cancer, the protein level increases because this protein is considered a tumor marker that can be defined as a sign or indication of the presence of a tumor.
You may be interested in finding more information through the following: Analysis of tumor markers and its most important types
What are the indications for conducting an AFP analysis
There are several cases in which this analysis should be carried out, namely:
AFP is sometimes used to monitor the body’s response to treatment if the protein level drops or approaches the normal range after treating cancer patients, as this indicates the effectiveness and success of the treatment.
Although in some cases the results may indicate a return of the cancer. However, it’s worth noting that if it is not screened before treatment begins, using this protein to monitor treatment effects or cancer recurrence is ineffective.
The purpose of the AFP test “alpha-fetoprotein” is to detect certain types of cancer, especially liver, ovarian, and testicular cancers.
The protein content is very high in this case and it can be said that resorting to this test is usually because of signs of tumors.
Such as the presence of severe swelling and bloating in the abdomen, in addition to its use to detect some other types of cancer, such as cancer of the stomach, lymph nodes, lungs, colon and breast, but this test is rarely approached in this case.
It should be noted that this increase in this protein does not definitively indicate the presence of tumors, since there are other health conditions (such as hepatitis), this protein can be increased as well as cirrhosis.
Therefore, attention should be paid in the case of some chronic liver diseases, where the value of vegetable protein is within the normal range, and then increases suddenly and rapidly, and then the person is more likely to develop liver cancer.
It occurs during pregnancy because routine analysis is used to detect the presence of certain genetic diseases in the fetus, such as neural tube defects (spinal fissures),
And chromosomal diseases (such as Down syndrome, which have the highest rate of accuracy from the 16th to the 18th week of pregnancy.
It should be noted that a positive result of this test does not necessarily indicate the presence of congenital defects, as in the case of a high probability of congenital defects in the fetus,
In other cases, for example: pregnant women aged 35 and over, a family history of birth defects, use of harmful drugs or drugs during pregnancy, a woman with diabetes during pregnancy.
You can enrich your information through the following: What is CRP analysis | What diseases does 2022 reveal?
What are the normal ratios for AFP analysis?
Mostly alpha-fetoprotein is formed during the early stages of embryogenesis in the liver as well as the yolk sac, and its normal ratio is as follows:
From the fifteenth week until the end of the twentieth week of pregnancy, the normal ratio of protein for a pregnant woman is 10: 150 ng/ml.
While the normal ratio for both men and women who are not pregnant is 0:40 ng/ml.
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Side Effects of AFP . Analysis
There are a range of side effects of mild AFP that may occur mostly due to the needle prick, including strong or dull pain at the puncture site,
This is in addition to the possibility of bleeding, infection, or some bruising in the body, or as well as making the person feel dizzy and dizzy after the tingling.
Performing an AFP analysis is a procedure to check on the patient’s health condition, especially with the various symptoms that he may feel,
But it does not necessarily mean that the patient has one of the various cancers, and the patient must follow the specialist doctor carefully to prevent the occurrence of side effects or other complications at any time.
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