What do the results mean? If your results show higher than normal AFP levels, it may mean your baby has a neural tube defect such as spina bifida, a condition in which the bones of the spine don’t close around the spinal cord, or anencephaly, a condition in which the brain does not develop properly.

High levels of AFP can be a sign of liver cancer or cancer of the ovaries or testicles, as well as noncancerous liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. High AFP levels don’t always mean cancer, and normal levels don’t always rule out cancer.

An AFP level between 10 ng/mL to 20 ng/mL is normal for adults. An extremely high level of AFP in your blood—greater than 400 ng/mL—could be a sign of liver tumors. High levels of AFP may mean other cancers, including Hodgkin disease, lymphoma, and renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer).

A positive AFP PLUS test means that you are in a higher likelihood group for having a baby with a neural tube defect or a chromosome abnormality. However, it does not prove by itself that there is anything wrong with the pregnancy.

The test has a false positive rate of 5 percent. This means that 5 percent of the time, the test is positive but the baby does NOT have an open spine.

Your baby may make more AFP than normal, or you could be having twins (two babies make more AFP than one). Other things, including your race, weight, and having diabetes, can also affect your result.

False-positive results may be because the mother is carrying twins, inaccurate dates, a low birth weight infant, a large placenta or a sample that was contaminated. Abnormal results are also associated with the fact that the baby may be a girl.

Iron reduction therapy significantly reduced the median level of serum AFP from 13 to 7 ng/mL, ALT from 96 to 50 IU/L, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) from 55 to 28 IU/L, and ferritin from 191 to 10 ng/mL ( for each).

The presence of hepatic inflammation and/or fibrosis may be the underlying cause of increased serum AFP levels in patients with severe fatty liver. Necrosis or active regeneration may also play a role in these patients.

Increased AFP levels may indicate the presence of cancer, most commonly liver cancer, cancer of the ovary, or germ cell tumor of the testicles. However, not every liver, ovarian, or testicular cancer will produce significant quantities of AFP.

In many cases, fatty liver disease is diagnosed after blood tests show elevated liver enzymes. For example, your doctor may order the alanine aminotransferase test (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase test (AST) to check your liver enzymes.

Fluctuations in serum AFP levels within the normal range occur in patients during this follow-up period, causing anxiety about relapse. Patients frequently question the significance of an increase in AFP within normal levels and whether it predicts for relapse.

Normal range: < 2.5 ng/ml. Normal range may vary somewhat depending on the brand of assay used. Levels > 10 ng/ml suggest extensive disease and levels > 20 ng/ml suggest metastatic disease.

Alpha fetoprotein normal range is below ten ng/ml. In the case of adults who aren’t pregnant, if the results show that there is a high level of AFP, then it indicates that you have liver disease. The AFP levels fluctuate throughout pregnancy. In pregnant women, a higher AFP level indicates Spina bifida in your fetus.

An AFP test is a routine screening test that’s given to expectant mothers between the 14th and 22nd weeks of their pregnancy. It is most accurate between the 16th and 18th weeks, so it’s important to know exactly when you became pregnant. AFP testing is usually part of a quad screen.

Causes of this decrease may include the production of an altered AFP molecule with modified turnover or transport properties, or a reduction in the level of AFP synthesis.

A fair price for the AFP test is $43, according to HealthCare Bluebook. For Estriol, it’s $63. Check with your healthcare provider and/or your insurance plan to find out what it will cost you.

On MDsave, the cost of an AFP-Tumor Marker ranges from $16 to $61. Those on high deductible health plans or without insurance can save when they buy their procedure upfront through MDsave.

Blood is usually taken from a vein between the 15th and 20th weeks of pregnancy. The blood sample is then sent off to be checked at a lab. Results of the tests are usually ready in 1 to 2 weeks or less, depending on the lab.