Gvajaia Ani, Imeh Michael, Raza Ali
Internal Medicine, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (NYCHHC) Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, Bronx, USA.
Surgical Oncology, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (NYCHHC) Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, Bronx, USA.
Cureus. 2024 Apr 30;16(4):e59384. doi: 10.7759/cureus.59384. eCollection 2024 Apr.
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is considered one of the best-known predictive serum markers, playing a crucial role in cancer investigation and subsequent treatment. In most adult cells, the production of this marker is suppressed after embryogenesis. However, its increased level raises concerns about underlying malignant conditions, which provide a valuable diagnostic tool for medical professionals in oncology. The existing AFP-producing adenocarcinomas exhibit unique clinical characteristics, including high malignancy and early metastatic potential, which result in poorer outcomes. To illustrate these characteristics, we decided to describe a case report of a 70-year-old African American female with a significantly elevated level of AFP. Further pathology results confirmed a duodenal adenocarcinoma versus adenocarcinoma from the pancreas. While AFP-producing adenocarcinoma has multiple underlying molecular mechanisms that correlate with poor prognosis, definitive treatment based on molecular pathways has yet to be defined. Therefore, further research is needed for new therapeutic modalities.
甲胎蛋白（AFP）被认为是最知名的预测性血清标志物之一，在癌症调查及后续治疗中发挥着关键作用。在大多数成年细胞中，这种标志物的产生在胚胎发育后受到抑制。然而，其水平升高引发了对潜在恶性疾病的担忧，这为肿瘤学领域的医学专业人员提供了一种有价值的诊断工具。现有的产生AFP的腺癌表现出独特的临床特征，包括高恶性和早期转移潜能，这导致预后较差。为了阐述这些特征，我们决定描述一例70岁非裔美国女性AFP水平显著升高的病例报告。进一步的病理结果证实为十二指肠腺癌而非胰腺腺癌。虽然产生AFP的腺癌有多种与预后不良相关的潜在分子机制，但基于分子途径的明确治疗方法尚未确定。因此，需要进一步研究新的治疗方式。
