Tumour markers in blood may be tested for diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of effects of therapy for certain types of cancers. Even with the advances in technology, every blood test has its own limitations. False positive or false negative results could be encountered. Test requests should be guided by clinical suspicion and medical assessment, and test results should be interpreted in the appropriate clinical context. Diagnosis would generally require a combination of clinical, pathological and/or radiological/imaging investigations.
For details, please refer to the following Common Cancers in Hong Kong webpages: