Alpha-fetoprotein is found in the patient’s blood serum and is usually tested by drawing blood, which is usually the same day.
AFP is a glycoprotein that is used as a tumor marker for detecting hepatocellular carcinoma. It is usually elevated in large amounts in infants and children and in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and gradually decreases in the blood with age. In addition, elevated alpha-fetoprotein is also seen in viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, and in pregnant women, but the elevation is less pronounced compared to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
AFP belongs to quantitative data, which can indicate the possibility of liver cancer through specific values, generally when it is greater than 200 ng/ml, it indicates a higher possibility of liver cancer, but the specificity and sensitivity of AFP is not 100%, and it needs to be combined with other tests for diagnosis.