[Tumor markers in gynecology. General review]

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha 1-fetoprotein (AFP) should like to be a part of the diagnostic tool of breast and ovarian cancer. HCG is an established specific tumor marker in the monitoring of trophoblastic tumors. The development of a specific HCG-beta-radioimmunoassay led off the possibility to determine the so called subclinical estimation of the tumor tissue. First clinical steps of tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), cancer antigen 12-5 (CA-12-5), cancer antigen 15-3 (CA-15-3) and D-Dimer would be of great interest to study the correlation between serum concentrations and tumor mass. The following classification is showing other tumor markers in a general review, too dividing molecules produced from the tumor cell itself, so called tumor derived products, and on the other side tumor associated products accompanying the malignancy.