{"id":8969,"date":"2024-11-27T14:43:57","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T12:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/?p=8969"},"modified":"2026-04-20T18:54:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:54:47","slug":"what-does-alpha-fetoprotein-afp-analysis-show-and-who-is-it-prescribed-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/what-does-alpha-fetoprotein-afp-analysis-show-and-who-is-it-prescribed-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP): what the test shows and who it is prescribed for"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\" data-start=\"196\" data-end=\"231\"><strong data-start=\"196\" data-end=\"231\">What is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"233\" data-end=\"513\">Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a protein that is synthesized in the liver and gastrointestinal tract of the embryo. It is normally present in the blood of the fetus and mother during pregnancy. In adults, elevated levels of AFP can be <strong data-start=\"445\" data-end=\"489\">marker of liver, ovarian, testicular tumors<\/strong> and some other conditions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"515\" data-end=\"772\">In accordance with <a class=\"cursor-pointer\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"524\" data-end=\"612\">FDA<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/analysis\/hormonal-panel\/prenatal-diagnostics\/prenatal-biochemical-screening-2nd-trimester-16-20-weeks\/alpha-fetoprotein-afp-2\/\">AFP analysis<\/a> is an important component of diagnosis in cases of suspected hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), as well as part of the triple test during pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"774\" data-end=\"808\"><strong data-start=\"774\" data-end=\"808\">When is an AFP test prescribed?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"810\" data-end=\"1079\">\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"810\" data-end=\"872\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"812\" data-end=\"872\">during pregnancy to assess the condition of the fetus (at 15\u201320 weeks)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"873\" data-end=\"913\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"875\" data-end=\"913\">if primary liver cancer is suspected<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"914\" data-end=\"981\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"916\" data-end=\"981\">for monitoring patients with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B\/C<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"982\" data-end=\"1022\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"984\" data-end=\"1022\">in the diagnosis of ovarian and testicular tumors<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1023\" data-end=\"1079\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1025\" data-end=\"1079\">to control relapse after cancer treatment<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1081\" data-end=\"1102\"><strong data-start=\"1081\" data-end=\"1102\">AFP blood levels<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"overflow-x-auto contain-inline-size\">\n<table data-start=\"1104\" data-end=\"1443\">\n<thead data-start=\"1104\" data-end=\"1171\">\n<tr data-start=\"1104\" data-end=\"1171\">\n<th data-start=\"1104\" data-end=\"1139\">Category<\/th>\n<th data-start=\"1139\" data-end=\"1171\">AFP level (ng\/ml)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody data-start=\"1240\" data-end=\"1443\">\n<tr data-start=\"1240\" data-end=\"1307\">\n<td>Adults (non-pregnant)<\/td>\n<td>&lt; 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"1308\" data-end=\"1375\">\n<td>Pregnant women (15\u201320 weeks)<\/td>\n<td>15\u201395 (depending on the week)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"1376\" data-end=\"1443\">\n<td>Over 500 (in adults)<\/td>\n<td>Probable liver tumor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1445\" data-end=\"1640\">Elevated AFP in non-pregnant patients is most often associated with <strong data-start=\"1512\" data-end=\"1543\">hepatocellular carcinoma<\/strong>, but it can also be the case <strong data-start=\"1571\" data-end=\"1597\">germ cell tumors<\/strong>, liver metastases, active hepatitis.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1445\" data-end=\"1640\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8972\" src=\"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/wp-content\/themes\/woodmart\/images\/lazy.svg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/afp2.jpg\" alt=\"Table of AFP norms in pregnant and non-pregnant women\" width=\"999\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/afp2.jpg 999w, https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/afp2-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/afp2-600x401.jpg 600w, https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/afp2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/afp2-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1642\" data-end=\"1675\"><strong data-start=\"1642\" data-end=\"1675\">What can affect the result?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1677\" data-end=\"1857\">\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1677\" data-end=\"1691\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1679\" data-end=\"1691\">pregnancy<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1692\" data-end=\"1733\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1694\" data-end=\"1733\">liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1734\" data-end=\"1774\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1736\" data-end=\"1774\">alcoholic or toxic intoxication<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1775\" data-end=\"1809\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1777\" data-end=\"1809\">recent surgeries<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1810\" data-end=\"1857\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1812\" data-end=\"1857\">taking medications that affect liver function<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1859\" data-end=\"1890\"><strong data-start=\"1859\" data-end=\"1890\">How to prepare for the analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1892\" data-end=\"2060\">\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1892\" data-end=\"1921\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1894\" data-end=\"1921\">to take the test on an empty stomach<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1922\" data-end=\"1955\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1924\" data-end=\"1955\">avoid alcohol for 24 hours<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1956\" data-end=\"1999\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1958\" data-end=\"1999\">inform the doctor about all medications taken<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"2000\" data-end=\"2060\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2002\" data-end=\"2060\">do not perform an ultrasound examination of the liver the day before<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2062\" data-end=\"2095\"><strong data-start=\"2062\" data-end=\"2095\">Interpretation of AFP results<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"overflow-x-auto contain-inline-size\">\n<table data-start=\"2097\" data-end=\"2647\">\n<thead data-start=\"2097\" data-end=\"2207\">\n<tr data-start=\"2097\" data-end=\"2207\">\n<th data-start=\"2097\" data-end=\"2119\">AFP level<\/th>\n<th data-start=\"2119\" data-end=\"2160\">Possible values<\/th>\n<th data-start=\"2160\" data-end=\"2207\">Next steps<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody data-start=\"2319\" data-end=\"2647\">\n<tr data-start=\"2319\" data-end=\"2427\">\n<td>&lt;10 ng\/ml<\/td>\n<td>Norm for non-pregnant women<\/td>\n<td>Observation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2428\" data-end=\"2537\">\n<td>10\u2013500 ng\/ml<\/td>\n<td>Chronic liver disease<\/td>\n<td>Monitoring, ultrasound<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2538\" data-end=\"2647\">\n<td>&gt;500 ng\/ml<\/td>\n<td>Suspected hepatocellular carcinoma<\/td>\n<td>Additional examination (CT, MRI, biopsy)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2649\" data-end=\"2855\">In pregnant women, changes in AFP levels may indicate: <strong data-start=\"2694\" data-end=\"2726\">congenital malformations of the fetus<\/strong> (e.g. neural tube defects), so the test is often performed along with hCG and estriol as part of prenatal screening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2857\" data-end=\"2885\"><strong data-start=\"2857\" data-end=\"2885\">Application in oncology<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2887\" data-end=\"2917\">AFP is widely used for:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2919\" data-end=\"3115\">\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"2919\" data-end=\"2981\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2921\" data-end=\"2981\">detection <strong data-start=\"2931\" data-end=\"2961\">hepatocellular carcinoma<\/strong> in the early stages<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"2982\" data-end=\"3022\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"2984\" data-end=\"3022\">evaluation of the effectiveness of tumor treatment<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"3023\" data-end=\"3064\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3025\" data-end=\"3064\">control after surgery<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"3065\" data-end=\"3115\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3067\" data-end=\"3115\">diagnostics <strong data-start=\"3079\" data-end=\"3115\">germ cell tumors in men<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"3117\" data-end=\"3308\">As noted <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/tests-procedures\/afp-test\/about\/pac-20384931\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"3129\" data-end=\"3215\">Mayo Clinic<\/a>, AFP levels can be an early signal of cancer, even before clinical symptoms appear.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3117\" data-end=\"3308\">The AFP test is a universal marker: in pregnant women, to assess fetal health, in adults, for early detection of dangerous tumors. Its regular use in risk groups can significantly increase the chances of early diagnosis.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a protein that is synthesized in the liver and gastrointestinal tract of the embryo. Normally, it<\/p>","protected":false},"author":627,"featured_media":8971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/627"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}