Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a protein commonly found during fetal development, but its role extends beyond birth. Throughout the first year of life, AFP levels can remain high, which can potentially mask various conditions from the neurological, metabolic, hematological, endocrine, and early childhood cancer groups. Although AFP reference values and clinical utility have been established in adults, evaluating AFP levels in children during the diagnostic process, treatment, and post-treatment surveillance is still associated with numerous diagnostic pitfalls. These challenges arise from the presence of physiologically elevated AFP levels, inconsistent data obtained from different laboratory tests, and the limited population of children with oncologic diseases that have been studied. To address these issues, it is essential to establish updated reference ranges for AFP in this specific age group. A population-based study involving a statistically representative group of patients could serve as a valuable solution for this purpose.
甲胎蛋白（AFP）是一种在胎儿发育过程中常见的蛋白质，但其作用不仅限于出生前。在生命的第一年，AFP水平可能持续偏高，这可能掩盖神经、代谢、血液、内分泌及儿童早期癌症等多种疾病。尽管成人AFP的参考值和临床用途已有明确标准，但在儿童诊断、治疗及治疗后监测过程中评估AFP水平仍存在诸多诊断陷阱。这些挑战源于生理性AFP水平升高、不同实验室检测数据的不一致性，以及已研究的儿童肿瘤疾病患者群体有限。为解决这些问题，建立该特定年龄组更新的AFP参考范围至关重要。一项基于人群、包含统计学代表性患者群体的研究，可为实现这一目标提供有价值的解决方案。
Role of Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) in Diagnosing Childhood Cancers and Genetic-Related Chronic Diseases
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家