Tumor Markers

CA 72-4: a tumour marker for the stomach, and how ulcers, polyps and Helicobacter are linked to it

CA 72-4 is a tumour marker in the blood that is linked to TAG-72, a large protein with many sugar groups that resembles mucus proteins. According to a 2026 review, mucus proteins contribute to the surface of tumour cells and protect tumour cells from a hostile environment.

According to that review, stomach cancer is the cancer most closely linked to CA 72-4, but in a Taiwanese study of healthy adults a stomach ulcer, stomach polyps, an inflamed and thinned stomach lining and a Helicobacter pylori infection were also linked to a higher CA 72-4. Only a blood test shows how high CA 72-4 is.

Studies report CA 72-4 in units per millilitre (U/mL), and the laboratory guides read for this page print no cut-off value for it.

Doctor's Assessment Included

CA 72-4 is a protein with sugar groups that is present in the blood in small amounts and that some tumours of the stomach and gut release in larger amounts. Star-SHL, Unilabs, Certe and Diagnostiek voor U do not offer CA 72-4 and publish no limit for it; limits differ between assay methods.

In people without symptoms, a raised CA 72-4 usually does not mean cancer: in a Taiwanese study of 7,757 healthy adults, 7.2 percent had a high value, and fewer than 1 in 500 of them had stomach cancer.
CA 72-4 is not suitable for screening people without symptoms for cancer.
After an unexpectedly high CA 72-4, a reasonable first step is a repeat measurement, with a check of the assay method and a look at symptoms and imaging.

Reference Ranges

No established reference range

There is no Dutch reference value for CA 72-4. No Dutch guideline or laboratory handbook publishes one, and — unlike most blood values — no international standard exists for this test. Different analysers therefore report different numbers for the same person; the manufacturer itself requires that a CA 72-4 result only be read alongside the method used to measure it. We work with several partner laboratories, each with its own analyser and its own reference values. Your own result therefore arrives with the reference interval of the laboratory that examined your blood: that is the interval that applies to you. Discuss your result with your doctor.

Unit: ku/l

Reference ranges may vary between laboratories. When you order a test, a BIG-registered doctor assesses your personal results in context. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.

CA 72-4: what this test measures

A CA 72-4 determination gives the level of CA 72-4 in the blood in units per millilitre (U/mL). In a study of 653 people with newly diagnosed stomach cancer, a CA 72-4 of 6.9 U/mL or higher was linked to hidden spread to the lining of the abdomen; that is a study cut-off in people with stomach cancer and not a reference value.

CA 72-4: why this value matters

CA 72-4 counts in the care around stomach cancer, where according to a 2026 review the marker serves mainly for the prognosis, detecting a return of the cancer and assessing spread to the lining of the abdomen.

In a Taiwanese study of healthy adults, a stomach ulcer, stomach polyps, atrophic gastritis (a chronically inflamed and thinned stomach lining), a higher age and a Helicobacter pylori infection were linked to a higher CA 72-4.

CA 72-4: how the blood test works

Referral: No GP referral needed. After the order we arrange the referral through ZorgDomein, within one business day; orders after 17:00 or at the weekend start on the next business day. ZorgDomein emails a barcode, and that barcode is what the draw site needs.
The draw: A blood draw from a vein in the arm, at a partner laboratory's draw site. No home kit, no finger prick.
Where: 650+ draw sites run by independent laboratories across the Netherlands. Draw sites

CA 72-4: when is testing worthwhile?

People with stomach cancer are the main group for a CA 72-4 measurement according to a 2026 review: the value helps with the prognosis, with detecting a return of the cancer and with assessing spread to the lining of the abdomen. The same review advises against using CA 72-4 to screen the population.

Routine measurement of CA 72-4 may be ineffective for finding stomach cancer according to a Taiwanese study of healthy adults, because of a low sensitivity and a low predictive value.

CA 72-4: symptoms of a high or low value

Low Levels

A low CA 72-4 says nothing about the stomach or health in the sources read, and no source names symptoms with a low value. In one Chinese study, the median CA 72-4 of healthy participants was 1.59 U/ml, a finding of that study and not a cut-off value.

High Levels

According to a 2026 review, a high CA 72-4 calls for targeted investigation when the value persists, rises or is markedly raised in someone with stomach complaints, previous stomach cancer, fluid in the abdomen or around the lungs, or a suspected condition of the lining of the abdomen.

According to the same review, a high CA 72-4 can also occur with benign conditions, inflammation or an interference in the measurement. In a Taiwanese study, a high CA 72-4 in healthy adults pointed to stomach cancer in 0.18% of cases.

CA 72-4: causes of a low or high value

What raises the value

Stomach cancer

CA 72-4 is most closely linked to stomach cancer, but it is an add-on test that cannot show cancer on its own.
Other cancers of the abdomen and pelvis

CA 72-4 has also been studied as a tumour marker in cancer of the ovary, the bowel and the pancreas.
Gout flare

During a gout flare, CA 72-4 was significantly higher in a study than in gout without a flare and in healthy people.
Colchicine

The gout drug colchicine can raise CA 72-4; in a study the value fell again after it was stopped.
Stomach ulcer, stomach polyps and Helicobacter

A stomach ulcer, stomach polyps, a chronically inflamed and thinned stomach lining (atrophic gastritis) and a Helicobacter pylori infection were linked to a higher CA 72-4 in a study.

CA 72-4: lifestyle and this value

With an unexpectedly high CA 72-4, known stomach conditions such as a stomach ulcer, stomach polyps or a Helicobacter pylori infection matter, because in a Taiwanese study of healthy adults they were linked to a higher CA 72-4. A 2026 review puts confirmation before extensive investigation: repeating the measurement, checking the assay platform and looking for symptoms or abnormal scans.

CA 72-4: frequently asked questions

Can Helicobacter pylori raise CA 72-4?

A Helicobacter pylori infection was linked to a higher CA 72-4 in a Taiwanese study of healthy adults, with an odds ratio (a measure of how strongly two things are linked) of 1.44. That study shows a link and not a cause.

Is CA 72-4 linked to age?

Yes, in a Taiwanese study of healthy adults a higher age was linked to a higher CA 72-4, with an odds ratio, a measure of the strength of a link, of 1.01. That study shows a link and not a cause.

What does CA 72-4 do in people with stomach cancer?

In people with stomach cancer, CA 72-4 serves mainly for the prognosis, detecting a return of the cancer and assessing spread to the lining of the abdomen, according to a 2026 review.

CA 72-4: sources

Ng RK, Shelat VG. Carbohydrate antigen 72-4 and tumor-associated glycoprotein 72 - tumor marker: Past, present and future. World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol 2026;17(3):125464. (retrieved 2026) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Zhuang Y, et al. Elevated serum CA72-4 as a novel diagnostic biomarker for acute gout flares. Sci Rep 2025;15:20728. (retrieved 2026) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Zhao B, et al. An abnormal elevation of serum CA72-4 rather than other tumor markers can be caused by use of colchicine. Int J Biol Markers 2019;34(3):318-321. (retrieved 2026) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Hu PJ, et al. Clinical Evaluation of CA72-4 for Screening Gastric Cancer in A Healthy Population: A Multicenter Retrospective Study. Cancers (Basel) 2019;11(5):733. (retrieved 2026) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Tests with related values

These panels measure values from the same category as this marker.

Prostate

Men Over 40 Panel

Age-appropriate screening including testosterone and PSA.

HbA1c (Glycated Hemoglobin) PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) Triglycerides Creatinine Free T4 (Thyroxine) LDL Cholesterol SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) Total Cholesterol Vitamin D (25-OH) Free Testosterone Total Testosterone hs-CRP (High Sensitivity CRP) HDL Cholesterol eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate) Cholesterol/HDL Ratio Non-HDL Cholesterol LDL/HDL Ratio

€279,-

Prostate