Tumor marker

A tumor-associated marker is a broad term referring to substances—typically proteins, genes, or other molecules—that are produced by cancer cells or by the body in response to cancer [18, 24]. These markers are found in higher-than-normal amounts in the blood, urine, or tissues of some people with cancer and are used clinically for screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring treatment response [24, 25]. While some markers are specific to one type of cancer, many are found in multiple cancer types and are thus classified as tumor-associated markers [18, 25]. Modern oncology uses these markers as therapeutic targets for precision medicines, such as monoclonal antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which exploit the differential expression of these molecules to selectively eliminate malignant cells [6, 13]. For instance, Nectin-4 is a well-known tumor-associated marker targeted by the ADC enfortumab vedotin in bladder cancer [6, 19]. Other prominent examples include Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), CA-125 (MUC16), and Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which are used both as diagnostic tools and as potential targets for immunotherapy [12, 13, 18]. The identification and quantification of these markers are essential for personalized cancer management and the development of novel targeted agents [10, 20].

Other names

Tumor-associated markerTumor-associated antigenCancer markerOncological biomarkerTumor-specific marker

Therapeutic agents targeting tumor-associated markers typically involve monoclonal antibodies or antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) that bind to specific antigens overexpressed on the surface of cancer cells, facilitating targeted delivery of cytotoxic agents or inducing immune-mediated cell lysis [6, 13, 23].