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Abstract
This study is a 5 year review of requests pattern for assay of four tumour markers: Prostate specific antigen, (PSA), Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), Human chorionic gonadotrophins (HCG) and Alpha feto protein (AFP). All plasma samples for the markers from February 1998 – December 2002 were processed weekly by immuno- radiometric assay method. Biodata from request form were collated and analyzed. A total of 4,249 requests were received for the period under review which showed an increase yearly from inception to the last year of review. Requests for PSA assay were the most common, 2,258 (53.1%). A total of 845 tests (19.89%) were recorded for AFP. This was followed by CEA, 745 tests (17.53%) and HCG, 401 (9.44%), indicating suspicion of malignancies of colorectal region and gestational trophoblastic diseases, respectively. There appears to be an increasing trend in the proportion of requests with values outside the reference range over the years in review. The implication of this request pattern is discussed.
Keywords: Tumour markers requests, prostrate specific antigen PSA, carcinoembryonic antigen CEA, human chorionic gonadotrophins HCG, alpha feto protein AFP,