High quantification of methemoglobin is commonly seen in primary liver cancer, acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and ovarian tumors, in addition to mild elevation of methemoglobin in women during pregnancy.
Fetoprotein is an important indicator for the diagnosis of primary liver cancer, and patients with liver cancer often have persistent abnormal elevations of methemoglobin. In addition, acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and severe hepatitis are monitored for elevated fetoprotein. In obstetrics and gynecology, elevated fetoprotein may be detected in oncologic conditions such as ovarian cancer and malignant teratoma.
In addition, it is most commonly seen in the gestational state. It is commonly believed that methemoglobin is secreted by newborn infantile hepatocytes, and because fetal hepatocytes are not fully differentiated and secrete higher amounts of methemoglobin, which can pass through the maternal-fetal circulation and into the mother’s blood, elevated methemoglobin can also be detected in the gestational state.
So, although methemoglobin is a tumor marker that suggests the possibility of a tumor, most pregnant women need to know that it is also elevated in the physiological state. But only if the possibility of co-morbid neoplastic disease is ruled out.