Tumor markers are proteins found in the blood or urine when cancer is present in the body, according to the American Cancer Society. Doctors order lab tests on patients' blood to test for the presence of tumor markers if some type of cancer is...
The prostate is a mass of gland-like tissue that also includes muscle and fibrous tissue. It is located under the bladder and in front of the rectum in males. Although the prostate is not part of the urinary tract, it plays a major role in normal...
Breast cancer is a disease in which cells within the breast mutate and begin to proliferate uncontrollably. Breast cancer detection relies on regular breast examinations and mammograms, and breast cancer diagnosis relies on analysis of breast...
Cell growth within the body is tightly regulated by a number of factors. Cells that become mutated are normal signaled by the body to undergo cellular suicide to prevent the development of diseases such as cancer. Cancer occurs when cells have...
In cancer patients, elevated levels of certain proteins correlate directly to cancer behavior and survival rates, according to recent research. Heightened levels of C-reactive protein and C-peptide in particular tend to foreshadow mortality....
Primary liver cancer is cancer that starts in the tissues of the liver. Cancer that has spread to the liver from another area of the body is called secondary liver cancer. According to MayoClinic.com, in its early stages, liver cancer does not...
There are several potential causes of elevated levels of protein in the blood. The type of protein circulating in the blood is often an antibody. The plasma cell that produces antibodies is part of the immune system, and thus, elevated protein...
Protein is an essential component of the body's growth and repair system. It is also required for immunity from disease. A normal protein level is approximately 6.0 to 8.3 gm/dL, according to MedlinePlus. While dietary protein contributes to the...
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, "genetic testing" covers a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical tests and includes testing of DNA, RNA, and proteins. Breast cancer genetic tests use blood samples or tissue samples...
The fluid portion of the blood normally contains some amount of proteins, which fall into two categories: albumin or globulin. These proteins are important for the tissues throughout the body as albumin prevents fluids from leaking out of blood...
An elevated HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, usually means that you are pregnant. Pregnancy tests use an elevated level of HCG as a marker because HCG is always present in high levels during the first trimester of a normal pregnancy. The...
The Abs Diet stands apart from many other diet programs because it doesn't limit dieters to a restrictive list of foods. Instead, it encourages you to base meals and snacks on these 12 power foods that provide energy, muscle-building power and...
Chlorophyll is the molecule in plants that traps sunlight and converts it into energy. The chlorophyll molecule is also identical in structure to hemoglobin, the molecule that carries oxygen in your bloodstream, with one exception. Where...
Boiled peanuts have been a favorite southern U.S. snack since the 1800s. Because the process of boiling raw, unshelled peanuts in salted water retains their nutrients, boiled peanuts provide even more nutritional value than the already...
Cancer of the uterine lining, also called endometrial cancer, typically occurs in older women who have already experienced menopause. According to the National Cancer Institute, endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer,...
Carnitine is a compound related to amino acids that is found abundantly throughout your body and plays a critical role in energy production. If you suffer from cancer and are undergoing treatment, carnitine supplementation may provide some health...
Anemia is a condition in which the number of circulating red blood cells is lower than normal causing a decrease in oxygen delivery to tissues in the body. The Mayo Clinic reports that a normal hematocrit, which is the percentage of red blood...
Elevated calcium, or hypercalcemia, is defined as a calcium level of greater than 10.5mg/dL after correction for levels of albumin, a type of protein that transports calcium through the blood. If correction produces a normal value for blood...
Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect because its symptoms are often vague and can be attributed to other medical conditions. In addition to the signs and symptoms that can alert someone with ovarian cancer to its presence, there are physical...
Ovarian cancer generally has minimal symptoms in its early stages, so many women do not find out they have the disease until it is in its advanced stages. A test designed specifically for ovarian cancer patients called the CA-125, helps doctors...
Lymphatic cancer, also called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, forms a large group of cancers of the lymphatic system, which makes up part of the body's immune system that defends the body from illnesses. According to the National Cancer Institute, these...
Even if you normally have a hearty appetite, it can be challenging to eat well while you're being treated for cancer. Symptoms of the disease itself may make you lose interest in eating. And treatments designed to kill cancer cells also may kill...
Proteins in your blood can help regulate various body functions, help fight infection, act as transport mechanisms and help chemical reactions take place. Normally, your body tightly controls the amount of proteins in your blood. If you have a...
The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2009 more than 20,000 American women were diagnosed with, and over 14,000 women died from, ovarian cancer. Because of the difficulty in detecting ovarian cancer, this disease is known as a "silent...
If the idea of sitting in a room where the temperature exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while dripping in sweat, seems unappealing, it may prompt you to ask a frequent indulger of this form of heat therapy just why he takes a sauna. A sauna...
The prostate gland is a very important gland in men that is needed for sexual health and reproduction. It is about the size of a walnut. It produces semen, which carries and protects sperm. It sits below the urinary bladder and can lead to...
If ever you get pain in the abdomen, so severe and serious that it brings on fever and vomiting, call in your doctor promptly. If you also feel cold, clammy, and lightheaded and struggle for breath, it is an emergency. It is possible that...
Ovarian cancer will cause an estimated 13,850 deaths and lead to 21,880 new cancer cases in the United States in 2010, reports the National Cancer Institute. Epithelial ovarian cancer, the most common form of ovarian cancer, develops from the...
Your blood contains two classes of proteins: albumin and globulin. Albumins help carry other substances throughout your blood and keep fluid from leaking out of blood vessels. Globulins include enzymes, antibodies and more than 500 different...
