What is the normal value of alpha-fetoprotein?

The alpha-fetoprotein value for adults should be lower than 30μmg/L. If the value is high, you need to be vigilant, because alpha-fetoprotein can be elevated in 80% of cancer patients, so you must pay attention to a comprehensive examination.

1. Alpha-fetoprotein is a glycoprotein found in fetal liver cells and amniotic fluid. The level of alpha-fetoprotein is relatively low in normal adults, but it is elevated in about 70% of liver cancer patients. Modern tumor immunology uses it as a marker for liver cancer, but if the alpha-fetoprotein level is simply elevated, it does not necessarily mean that a tumor has occurred.

2. What is the normal value of alpha-fetoprotein?

AFP is mainly synthesized in the fetal liver, with a molecular weight of 69,000. When the fetus is 13 weeks old, the AFP is about 40 mg/L. The AFP value of an adult should be less than 30 μmg/L.

3. What does high alpha-fetoprotein mean?

Alpha-fetoprotein can be elevated in 80% of tumor patients. About 50% of patients with reproductive system tumors have elevated alpha-fetoprotein. Lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gastrointestinal tumors will also have a certain degree of elevation. However, we have found that some patients with cirrhosis have elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels for a long time without any signs of liver cancer.

4. What should I do if alpha-fetoprotein increases?

There is no need to panic if alpha-fetoprotein levels increase. Only by combining other tests can it be determined whether you have a tumor. An increase in alpha-fetoprotein alone cannot completely determine whether a tumor is present. There is no need to panic even if you have a tumor. Modern medical technology is so advanced that cancer has long been classified by the World Health Organization as a treatable chronic disease. According to statistics, the cure rate of early tumor treatment in developed countries is as high as 60%, and in my country it can reach 50%. Especially since the 1980s. Research on tumor biotherapy has begun to enter clinical tumor treatment, bringing new hope to humans in curing tumors. In 2009, my country's Ministry of Health approved the application of tumor biological treatment technologies such as autologous immune cells in clinical tumor treatment, so we should be cautious when facing high alpha-fetoprotein levels.