Cancer Risk Blood Test for Women – Comprehensive (19 Biomarkers)

This panel is for women who want a broad, multi-system view of tumour marker activity rather than a single-organ check. It brings together seventeen markers spanning the breast, gynaecological tract, digestive tract and lungs, alongside markers of iron storage, immune activation and gastric mucosal health. It can be helpful for women with a family history of cancer, persistent unexplained symptoms, a benign condition already under monitoring, or those who simply want a fuller picture alongside their routine health checks.

General and gastrointestinal tumour markers
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): a widely used marker associated with colorectal and other gastrointestinal cancers.
- Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP): associated with liver and germ cell tumours.
- Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9): associated with pancreatic, biliary and colorectal disease.

Gynaecological and breast tumour markers
- Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125): the established marker for ovarian cancer assessment and monitoring.
- Carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3): used in breast cancer assessment and monitoring.
- Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4): combined with CA 125 to calculate a ROMA score, which helps assess the likelihood of ovarian malignancy in women presenting with a pelvic mass.

Additional gastrointestinal markers
- Carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA 72-4): associated with gastric and other gastrointestinal cancers.
- Carbohydrate antigen 242 (CA 242): a complementary marker used in pancreatic and colorectal assessment.

Lung-associated markers
- Cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1): associated with non-small cell lung cancer.
- Neuron-specific enolase (NSE): associated with neuroendocrine tumours and small cell lung cancer.
- Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP): used alongside other markers in the assessment of lung disease.

Supporting markers
- Ferritin: reflects iron stores and can rise with inflammation or malignancy.
- Beta-2 microglobulin (β2-microglobulin): associated with haematological and renal conditions.
- Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC): associated with squamous cell cancers, including cervical cancer.

Gastric health markers
- H. pylori antibody: indicates past or present Helicobacter pylori infection, a recognised risk factor for gastric cancer.
- Pepsinogen I and Pepsinogen II: reflect gastric acid output and mucosal health.
- Pepsinogen I/II ratio (PG I/II ratio): a reduced ratio can point to gastric mucosal atrophy, which is linked to a higher gastric cancer risk.

Tumour markers are supporting information, not a diagnosis on their own. They are most useful when read alongside your history, examination, imaging and any national screening you already attend, and they do not replace breast, cervical or bowel screening programmes. A raised result can occur for benign reasons, and a normal result does not exclude disease, so all results are best reviewed with your GP or specialist.

Why it matters
Cancer risk in women is rarely confined to one organ, yet most private checks look at only a handful of markers. This panel gives a genuinely wide view: gynaecological and breast markers on one side, digestive and lung markers on the other, plus indicators of iron status, immune activation and gastric mucosal health that can flag people worth investigating further. For women with a family history, ongoing symptoms or a desire for a more complete baseline, it offers a structured starting point for a properly informed conversation with their doctor.