Cancer of unknown primary origin other diagnostic studies

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: , Roukoz A. Karam, M.D.[2]

Overview

Other diagnostic studies for cancer of unknown primary that may help establish the origin of the tumor include tumor markers, diagnostic tonsillectomy, and gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Other Diagnostic Studies

Other diagnostic studies for cancer of unknown primary that may help establish the origin of the tumor include:

Tumor markers such as αFP, βHCG, PSA, CA125, CA 27.29, CA 19.9, and CEA^[1]
- αFP and βHCG must be tested in patients presenting with midline metastatic disease.^[2]
- PSA must be tested in patients presenting with adencarcinomatous bone metastases.^[2]
Diagnostic tonsillectomy^[3]
Gastrointestinal endoscopy, ENT panendoscopy (which is a combination of laryngoscopy, esophagoscopy, and bronchoscopy), proctoscopy, and colposcopy^[4]^[5]
Octreoscan and plasma chromogranin A
- In patients with neuroendocrine tumors

References

↑ Molina R, Bosch X, Auge JM, Filella X, Escudero JM, Molina V; et al. (2012). “Utility of serum tumor markers as an aid in the differential diagnosis of patients with clinical suspicion of cancer and in patients with cancer of unknown primary site”. Tumour Biol. 33 (2): 463–74. doi:10.1007/s13277-011-0275-1. PMID 22161237.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Fizazi K, Greco FA, Pavlidis N, Daugaard G, Oien K, Pentheroudakis G; et al. (2015). “Cancers of unknown primary site: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up”. Ann Oncol. 26 Suppl 5: v133–8. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdv305. PMID 26314775.
↑ Tytor M, Olofsson J (1986). “Cervical lymph node metastases with occult primary”. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 11 (6): 463–7. PMID 3815873.
↑ Mousseau M, Schaerer R, Lutz JM, Ménégoz F, Faure H, Swiercz P (1991). “[Hepatic metastasis of unknown primary site]”. Bull Cancer. 78 (8): 725–36. PMID 1932839.
↑ Lefebvre JL, Coche-Dequeant B, Van JT, Buisset E, Adenis A (1990). “Cervical lymph nodes from an unknown primary tumor in 190 patients”. Am J Surg. 160 (4): 443–6. PMID 2221252.

Overview