HISTOPATHOLOGY TUMOR MARKERS

Tumor Marker

Uses or Identifying Characteristics

CA 125

Ovarian carcinoma (especially serous adenocarcinomas)

CA 19-9

Pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers (e.g., colorectal, liver)

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

Colorectal carcinoma, pancreatic, gastric, and breast cancer

Cytokeratins (CK)

Identification of epithelial tumors, including various carcinomas

CK 7

Positive in many adenocarcinomas like lung, breast, and ovarian

CK 20

Positive in colorectal carcinomas, Merkel cell carcinoma

P63

Positive in squamous cell carcinomas of head/neck, lung, skin

Placenta-like Alkaline Phosphatase (PLAP)

Marker for seminomas and germ cell tumors, especially germinomas

Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)

Overexpressed in HER2-positive breast cancer, gastric carcinoma

Thyroid Transcription Factor (TTF-1)

Lung and thyroid carcinoma, small cell lung cancer

MUC1

Breast, ovarian, and endometrial carcinomas

MUC2

Colorectal carcinoma (particularly mucinous variant)

PAX-8

Ovarian carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, thyroid carcinomas

S100

Melanomas, neural crest origin tumors

HMB-45

Melanoma, highly sensitive for melanoma

Melan-A (MART-1)

Melanomas, pigmented cells in skin, retina, adrenocortical tumors

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)

Marker for endodermal sinus tumors (yolk sac tumors), embryonal carcinomas

Beta-HCG

Choriocarcinomas, germ cell tumors

Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)

Non-specific, elevated in many cancers, especially lymphoma

Vimentin

Mesenchymal tumors, sarcomas, fibrohistiocytic tumors

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)

Prostate cancer

CA 15-3

Breast cancer monitoring

Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP)

Prostate cancer, particularly in advanced stages

Estrogen Receptor (ER)

Breast carcinoma, determines hormonal therapy sensitivity

Progesterone Receptor (PR)

Breast carcinoma, assesses hormone therapy response

CD20

Marker for B-cell lymphomas

CD3

Marker for T-cell lymphomas

CD45 (LCA)

General marker for lymphoma, leukemias, and other hematologic malignancies

BCL-2

Anti-apoptotic marker, associated with follicular lymphoma

CD15

Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's lymphoma

CD30

Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's lymphoma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma

ALK

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, non-small cell lung cancer

Beta-2 Microglobulin

Multiple myeloma, lymphoma

APC (Adenomatous Polyposis Coli)

Colorectal carcinoma, particularly in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)

KRAS

Colorectal carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, lung adenocarcinoma

EGFR

Non-small cell lung cancer, especially for targeted therapy

VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor)

Angiogenesis marker, associated with various cancers (e.g., renal cell carcinoma)

HLA-DR

Marker for malignant lymphomas, histiocytic and dendritic cell tumors

CD34

Marker for endothelial cells and hematopoietic stem cells

CD68

Marker for histiocytes, used in fibrohistiocytic sarcomas

Factor VIII-related Antigen

Endothelial marker, used for vascular tumors (e.g., angiosarcomas)

PCNA (Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen)

Marker for cell proliferation, often used in assessing tumor aggression

Ki-67

Cell proliferation marker, often used to gauge tumor aggressiveness

SCC Antigen

Squamous cell carcinoma, especially in lung, cervical, and head/neck cancers

MAGE-A3

Melanoma, other epithelial tumors, especially in immunotherapy context

PAP

Marker for prostate cancer, particularly in advanced stages

CD68

Histiocytic tumors, fibrohistiocytic sarcomas

CD31

Vascular marker, used in diagnosing angiosarcomas

Ulex Europaeus 1 (UEA)

Endothelial marker, helpful in diagnosing vascular tumors

TROP-2

Overexpressed in various carcinomas (e.g., breast, colorectal, ovarian)

BCL-6

Marker for germinal center B-cells, used in lymphoma classification

C-KIT

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), other tumors of mesenchymal origin

D2-40

Lymphatic endothelial cell marker, used in evaluating lymphatic spread

CD10

Used to diagnose certain hematopoietic malignancies (e.g., lymphomas)

Myogenin

Myogenic tumors (e.g., rhabdomyosarcomas)

MyoD1

Myogenic tumors, particularly rhabdomyosarcomas

Desmin

Myogenic tumors (e.g., rhabdomyosarcomas, leiomyosarcomas)

Myoglobin

Myogenic tumors, particularly rhabdomyosarcomas

Factor VII-related Antigen

Marker for endothelial tumors, particularly angiosarcomas

NSE (Neuron-Specific Enolase)

Neuroendocrine tumors, small cell lung carcinoma

Chromogranin A

Neuroendocrine tumors (e.g., pheochromocytoma, small cell lung carcinoma)

Synaptophysin

Neuroendocrine tumors, particularly small cell lung carcinoma

Thyroglobulin

Thyroid carcinoma, particularly differentiated thyroid carcinoma

S-100

Melanoma, neural tumors

Cytokeratin 19

Marker for squamous cell carcinomas and some lung cancers

Alpha-1-Antitrypsin

Fibrohistiocytic tumors, particularly in sarcoma diagnosis

Alpha-1-Antichymotrypsin

Marker for fibrohistiocytic sarcomas

IL-2 Receptor

T-cell activation marker, useful in assessing lymphomas

CD4, CD8

T-cell lymphoma classification

CA 72-4

Gastric and ovarian carcinomas