AFP elevation can occur in which cancers besides liver cancer?

Study liver anatomy and function with our medical students test. Engage with detailed multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your test!

AFP is a fetal protein normally produced by the liver and yolk sac, and in adults its elevation is a sign that can point to certain tumors rather than all cancers. While hepatocellular carcinoma is the classic association, AFP can also be elevated in germ cell tumors, especially testicular tumors that contain nonseminomatous components like yolk sac tumor or embryonal carcinoma. That’s why this option—the idea that AFP can be elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma and testicular germ cell carcinoma—is the best choice. It’s not true that AFP rises in every cancer, nor that it’s exclusive to liver cancer, and it isn’t never elevated in cancer.