Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test: Normal Range, High Levels, Screening, and Benign Causes

Learn what PSA levels mean, why benign prostate conditions can raise PSA, how age and risk affect screening, and when repeat testing, MRI, or biopsy may be considered.

A prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test measures the concentration of PSA in blood. PSA is produced mainly by prostate tissue, so it is useful...

Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) Test: Prostate Cancer Marker, High Levels, and Historical Use

Learn what a prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) test measures, why high levels were linked to advanced prostate cancer, why PSA replaced PAP, and how ACP3 is being studied again.

Prostatic acid phosphatase, or PAP, is an enzyme produced in high amounts by prostate tissue. Before prostate-specific antigen became widely used, serum PAP was...

PSA Density Test: Prostate Size, PSA Level, Cancer Risk, and Result Meaning

PSA density divides PSA by prostate volume to refine prostate cancer risk. Learn how PSAD is calculated, what 0.15 means, and how MRI changes biopsy decisions.

PSA density, often abbreviated PSAD, adjusts a blood PSA result for the size of the prostate. It is calculated by dividing PSA in ng/mL...

PSA Velocity Test: PSA Change Over Time and Prostate Cancer Risk

PSA velocity measures PSA change in ng/mL per year, but no velocity cutoff should trigger biopsy alone. Learn how trends are calculated, interpreted, and confirmed.

PSA velocity describes how quickly prostate-specific antigen changes over time, usually in ng/mL per year. A rising PSA can be clinically important, but PSA...

PSMA Test: Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen, Imaging Marker, and Metastatic Disease

PSMA PET uses prostate-specific membrane antigen targeting to stage prostate cancer, detect biochemical recurrence, find metastases, and guide selected PSMA radioligand treatments.

A PSMA test usually refers to imaging that targets prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a cell-surface protein highly expressed by many prostate cancers. The most...

SelectMDx Test: Urine Gene Markers, Prostate Cancer Risk, and Result Meaning

SelectMDx measures HOXC6 and DLX1 urine gene markers after a prostate exam to estimate clinically significant prostate cancer risk and help guide MRI and biopsy decisions.

SelectMDx is a urine-based prostate cancer risk test that measures messenger RNA from the genes HOXC6 and DLX1 after a prostate-directed digital rectal examination....

AFP Test for Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors: High Levels, Tumor Marker Meaning, and Monitoring

Learn how AFP levels help diagnose and monitor ovarian germ cell tumors, what high results can mean, expected decline after treatment, and non-cancer causes.

An AFP test can help identify and monitor certain ovarian germ cell tumors, especially yolk sac tumors and mixed tumors that contain a yolk...

AMH Test for Ovarian Granulosa Cell Tumors: Tumor Activity, Monitoring, and Recurrence

Understand how AMH testing can track ovarian granulosa cell tumor activity, treatment response, and recurrence, plus what high or changing levels may mean.

An AMH test can be a useful blood marker for ovarian granulosa cell tumors because granulosa cells naturally produce anti-Müllerian hormone. In a patient...

Beta-hCG Test for Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors: High Levels, Tumor Marker Meaning, and Monitoring

Learn what high beta-hCG can mean in ovarian germ cell tumors, which tumor types raise hCG, how levels change with treatment, and causes of false positives.

A beta-hCG test can help diagnose and monitor ovarian germ cell tumors that produce human chorionic gonadotropin, especially choriocarcinoma, embryonal carcinoma, and mixed germ...

BRCA1 and BRCA2 Test for Ovarian Cancer: Hereditary Risk, DNA Repair, and Variant Meaning

Learn what BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing means in ovarian cancer, including hereditary risk, germline versus tumor results, VUS findings, DNA repair, and treatment relevance.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing can identify inherited cancer risk and tumor DNA-repair defects that matter in ovarian cancer care. These genes help repair dangerous...

BRIP1 Test for Ovarian Cancer: Hereditary Cancer Risk and Variant Meaning

Learn what a BRIP1 genetic test means for ovarian cancer risk, pathogenic variants, VUS results, family testing, screening limits, and risk-reducing surgery decisions.

A BRIP1 test looks for inherited variants in a DNA-repair gene that can raise the risk of ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer....

CA-125 Test for Ovarian Cancer: High Levels, Monitoring, Recurrence, and Benign Causes

Learn what high CA-125 levels can mean, common benign causes, how CA-125 tracks ovarian cancer treatment and recurrence, and why one result cannot diagnose cancer.

CA-125 is the most widely used blood tumor marker for epithelial ovarian cancer, but a high result does not by itself mean cancer. The...

Cervical Cancer Biomarker Panel: HPV, p16, Ki-67, Dysplasia Risk, and Tumor Markers

Understand cervical cancer biomarkers including high-risk HPV, p16, Ki-67 dual stain, dysplasia risk, biopsy markers, and tumor tests used after diagnosis.

A cervical cancer biomarker panel is not one universal blood test. It is a group of laboratory tools used at different points in cervical...

Endometrial Cancer Biomarker Panel: MMR, MSI, POLE, p53, and Molecular Subtype

Understand endometrial cancer MMR, MSI, POLE, and p53 testing, the four molecular subtypes, Lynch syndrome clues, prognosis, and treatment implications.

An endometrial cancer biomarker panel helps classify a tumor by its underlying biology, not just by how the cells look under a microscope. The...

Gestational Trophoblastic Disease hCG Test: Tumor Monitoring, hCG Levels, and Recurrence

Learn how hCG is used to monitor gestational trophoblastic disease, interpret falling, plateauing, rising, and low-level hCG, and detect GTN recurrence.

The hCG test is the central tumor-marker test for gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). Human chorionic gonadotropin is produced by trophoblastic tissue, so blood hCG...

Gynecologic Cancer Gene Panel: BRCA, Lynch Syndrome, RAD51, BRIP1, and Hereditary Risk

Understand gynecologic cancer gene panels for BRCA1/2, Lynch syndrome, RAD51C, RAD51D, and BRIP1, including hereditary risk, result meaning, and next steps.

A gynecologic cancer gene panel looks for inherited pathogenic variants that can increase the risk of ovarian, fallopian tube, primary peritoneal, endometrial, and other...

HE4 Test for Ovarian Cancer: High Levels, Risk Assessment, ROMA Score, and Meaning

Learn what an HE4 test measures, what high HE4 levels can mean, how kidney function affects results, and how HE4 and CA-125 are used in the ROMA ovarian cancer risk score.

Human epididymis protein 4, usually shortened to HE4, is a blood biomarker that can help estimate the chance that an ovarian or adnexal mass...

HER2 Test for Endometrial Cancer: HER2 Expression, Amplification, and Tumor Subtype

Learn how HER2 testing in endometrial cancer measures protein expression and ERBB2 amplification, how IHC and FISH results are interpreted, and why HER2 status can affect treatment in uterine serous carcinoma.

HER2 testing in endometrial cancer looks for excess HER2 protein or extra copies of the ERBB2 gene in tumor tissue. The result can help...

HPV 16 and HPV 18 Test: Cervical Cancer Risk, High-Risk Genotypes, and Meaning

Learn what positive and negative HPV 16 and HPV 18 results mean, why these high-risk genotypes raise cervical cancer risk, and when colposcopy or other follow-up is recommended.

HPV 16 and HPV 18 testing identifies two high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes that account for a large share of cervical cancers. A positive result...

HPV Test for Cervical Cancer: High-Risk HPV Types, Screening, and Follow-Up

Learn how high-risk HPV testing is used for cervical cancer screening, what positive and negative results mean, which HPV genotypes carry higher risk, and how colposcopy, cytology, and dual stain guide follow-up.

A high-risk HPV test checks a cervical or approved vaginal sample for human papillomavirus types that can cause cervical precancer and cancer. It is...