A man in China was left fearing he had cancer after a tumour marker reading soared far above the normal range, only to discover that his daily consumption of sea cucumber may have been behind the alarming result.
The man, identified only as Zhang, sought medical attention after experiencing pain around his shoulders and back.
He brought along a medical report from another hospital showing that his CA72-4 tumour marker level had reached 155 U/ml, significantly higher than the normal range.
However, further examinations offered no clear evidence of cancer. His gastroscopy, colonoscopy, abdominal CT scan and several other tumour marker tests all returned without significant abnormalities.
After reviewing the results, the attending doctor recommended that Zhang repeat the CA72-4 test at a later date.
Before leaving, Zhang also asked whether he could continue eating sea cucumber, which he had been consuming daily as a health supplement.
The doctor observed that Zhang was overweight and had a thick, greasy tongue coating. Based on traditional Chinese medicine assessment, he was considered to have a phlegm-dampness constitution, making him unsuitable for heavily nourishing foods such as sea cucumber.
The doctor also considered whether the supplements and food Zhang was consuming could have affected his CA72-4 reading.
He was advised to stop eating sea cucumber temporarily and return for another blood test after two weeks.
The results brought considerable relief. Zhang’s CA72-4 level had dropped from 155 U/ml to just 0.3 U/ml, returning to the normal range.
Doctors warned that certain health supplements and foods may affect CA72-4 readings, potentially causing misleading elevations.
These include reishi mushroom spore powder, cordyceps, spirulina, Cordyceps cicadae, sea cucumber and wild hazelnut mushrooms.
People who regularly consume such supplements or foods may consider stopping them for two to three weeks before repeating the test, according to the medical advice provided.
However, if the CA72-4 level does not fall significantly or continues to rise after retesting, further medical investigations are necessary.
