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Cancer biomarkers without specificity
A biomarker is a biological component in an organism that is able to determine a specific phenomenon. Some cancer biomarkers can specifically determine a type of cancer but others are more broad. Not all cancer biomarkers have to be specific to types of cancer. Some biomarkers found in the circulatory system can be used to determine an abnormal growth of cells present in the body. All these types of biomarkers can be identified through diagnostic blood tests, which is one of the main reasons to get regularly health tested. By getting regularly tested, many health issues such as cancer can be discovered at an early stage, preventing many deaths. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio has been shown to be a non-specific determinant for many cancers. This ratio focuses on the activity of two components of the immune system that are involved in the inflammatory response which is shown to be higher in presence of malignant tumors. Additionally, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a protein that is involved in the proliferation of cells. Unfortunately, it has been shown that in the presence of tumors it is highly active which has lead to the conclusion that it may help malignant cells reproduce at faster rates. Research has shown that anti-bFGF antibodies can be used to help treat tumors from many origins. Moreover, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-R) is involved in cell proliferation and growth. It has is possible that it is involved in inhibiting apoptosis, programmed cell death due to some defect. Due to this, the levels of IGF-R can be increased when cancer such as breast, prostate, lung, and colorectum is present.

Advantages
The discovery of various cancer biomarkers can help with the health of the society. By exploring different proteins that may be indicators of a specific or nonspecific cancer, it can be used as a diagnostic tool. These biomarkers would be able to diagnose and monitor cancer. A simple test may help diagnose the presence of cancer as well as monitor its response to treatment (or progression) which could be easily tailored to an effective treatment if not adequate. Additionally, they aid in determining if cancer has returned (relapse).

Disadvantages
Although biomarkers are very beneficial, there are some disadvantages. Since everybody is different, some people naturally have high levels of a biomarker that do not indicate cancer. This affects the availability in creating a standardized range that is applicable to everyone. Moreover, these biomarker are sensitive and results can easily be affected by the storage or collection of the sample. However, the most pressing concern results from the fact that levels of a biomarker may be low but cancer may be present, common in early stages of cancer.