肿瘤标志物是1978年美国国立癌症研究所首先提出的,1979年公开引用。它是指肿瘤组织和肿瘤细胞,由于癌基因或抗癌基因和其他肿瘤相关基因及其产物异常表达,所产生的抗原和生物活性物质。这些活性物质在正常组织或良性疾病中几乎不会存在或表达甚微。只有患了癌症才能在体内检出这些物质的存在或发生量的改变。医学上把这类能反映癌症发生与变化的物质统称为肿瘤标志物。 The tumor marker was first proposed by the National Cancer Institute in 1978 and was publicly quoted in 1979. It refers to the tumor tissue and tumor cells, due to the abnormal expression of oncogenes or anti-oncogenes and other tumor-associated genes and their products, resulting antigens and biologically active substances. These active substances are hardly present or expressed very little in normal tissue or in benign diseases. Only the presence of cancer can detect the presence or change of the amount of these substances in the body. Medically, such substances that reflect the occurrence and changes of cancer are collectively referred to as tumor markers.