Chromogranin A (CgA) Archives

Tag: Chromogranin A (CgA)

A protein found inside neuroendocrine cells, which release chromogranin A and certain hormones into the blood. Chromogranin A may be found in higher than normal amounts in patients with certain neuroendocrine tumours, small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer, and other conditions. Measuring the amount of chromogranin A in the blood may help to diagnose cancer or other conditions or find out how well treatment is working or if cancer has come back. Chromogranin A is a type of tumour marker. Also called CgA.

Also used in Immunostains where it is specific but not sensitive for neuroendocrine cells; more sensitive in well differentiated versus poorly differentiated tutors

17 Feb 2025

By Ronny Allan

7 Comments

The NETest® – can it replace Chromogranin A and more?

A Spotlight on NENs - Testing Series, Clinical Trials and Research, Patient AdvocacyAdvanced neuroendocrine cancer, Carcinoid tumour, Chromogranin A (CgA), Liquid biopsy, Metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer, Molecular markers, NETest, Neuroendocrine cancer, Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Tumour marker

See Summary below for a quick updateUpdate 8th Dec 2025. New York State Department of Health Grants Approval of Wren Laboratories’ NETest® 2.0 for Clinical Use Clinically Validated Performance In validation across 3,042 NET patients and 1,084 controls/other cancers, NETest 2.0 demonstrated: Sensitivity: 93% Specificity: 85% Positive predictive value: 95% Negative predictive value: 82% Overall accuracy: 91% These results support broad clinical utility, including: Accurate detection across all NET grades and stages Identification of minimal residual disease, recurrence, and progression Monitoring and prediction of therapeutic response, including 177Lu-PRRT Prognostic value for progression-free and overall survival Detection of neuroendocrine differentiation in select epithelial tumors Click…

01 Dec 2024

By Ronny Allan

23 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer – tumour markers and hormone levels

A Spotlight on NENs - Testing Series, Patient Advocacy131I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine (mIBG), 5-HIAA, 5-HT, 5-HTP, 5-Hydrotryptophan (5-HTP), 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid (5-HIAA), 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH), Biopsy, C-peptide, Calcitonin, Carcinoid crisis, Carcinoid heart disease, Carcinoid syndrome, Catecholamines, Chromaffin cells, Chromogranin, Chromogranin A (CgA), Chromogranin B (CgB), Chromogranin C (CgC), Cortisol, Electrolytes, Endocrine, Fasting Gut Endocrine Profile, Flushing, Gastric NET, Gastrin, Gastrin pH, Gastrinoma, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Genetic testing, Glucagon, Glucagonoma, Hedinger syndrome, Histamine, Hormones, Hypertension, Insulin, Insulinoma, MEN1 syndrome, Metanephrines, Molecular markers, NETest, Neuroendocrine, Neuroendocrine cancer, Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Neurokinin A (NKA), NKA, NT-proBNP, Pancreastatin, Pancreatic cancer, Pancreatic NET (PanNET), Pancreatic polypeptide (PP), Pheochromocytoma, Plasma 5HIAA, PPoma, Proinsulin, Proton pump inhibitors (PPI), Red blood count (RBC), Renal insufficiency, Serotonin, Serum serotonin, Somatostatin, Somatostatinoma, Substance K, Substance P, Tachycardia, Tachykinin, VIPoma, Wheezing, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Originally published 2016, updated October 2025 Background Some people hear the terms "tumour markers" and "hormone levels" when they are diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs). That might be confusing or even alarming at the time. Most people diagnosed with cancer will have had a form of medical testing at some point in their life, i.e. the sampling and testing of blood, urine, saliva, stool or body tissue. With NENs, the medical staff are just measuring the content of a 'substance' and then taking a view whether this is normal or not based on pre-determined ranges. These tests are normally done…

22 Mar 2024

By Ronny Allan

15 Comments

Neuroendocrine Cancer – Horrible Hormones

Patient Advocacy24-hour urinary catacholamines and metanephrines, 5-HIAA, 5-Hydrotryptophan (5-HTP), Addison's disease, Adrenal insufficiency, Adrenaline, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH), Aldosterone, Anaphylactic shock, Androgrens, Antihistamines, Appendiceal NET, Bradykinin, Calcitonin, Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), Carcinoid crisis, Carcinoid heart disease, Carcinoid syndrome, Catecholamines, Chromogranin A (CgA), Corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH), Cushing's disease, Cushing's syndrome, Diarrhea, Endocrine, Enterochromaffin cells, Epinephrine, Estrogen, Fight or flight, Flushing, Ga68 PET/CT, Gastric NET, Gastrin, Glucagon, Histamine, Hormones, HPA axis, Hyperparathyroidism, Hypocortisolism, Hypotension, Hypothalamus, Insulin, Intraoperative hypertensive crisis, Islet cell, Islet of Langerhams, Kallikrein, Lanreotide, Lung NETs, Malabsorption, Mast cell, Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), Metanephrines, Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN), NET syndromes, Neuroendocrine, Neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN), Neurokinin A (NKA), Neuropeptide K, Neurotensin, Neurotransmitter, Norepinephrine, Nutrition, Octreotide, Octreotide scan, Ovarian NEN, Pancreastatin, Pancreatic NET (PanNET), Pancreatic polypeptide (PP), Paraganglioma, Pellagra, Peptide, Pheochromocytoma, PPoma, Prostaglandin, Pruritus, Serotonin, Somatostatin, Somatostatinoma, Substance P, Tachycardia, Tachykinin, Telotristat ethyl (Xermelo), Testosterone, The 5 E's, Tryptophan, Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), Vasodilation, VIPoma, Xermelo (Telotristat ethyl)

Updated and reviewed 20th March 2024 Hormonal imbalances are quite common in many conditions including day to day stuff. With Neuroendocrine Cancer, it can be a real challenge both at diagnostic and maintenance phases. In addition to the cancer angle, there's some strange stuff going on, inexplicable, frightening for the patient, an unwanted ingredient causing chaos! Until I was diagnosed with metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer, I didn't have a clue about hormones - it's one of those things you just take for granted. However, hormones are vital to human health (male and female) and it's only when things go wrong you…

28 Sep 2023

By Ronny Allan

0 Comments

First and only FDA-cleared, fully automated chromogranin A assay

A Spotlight on NENs - Testing Series, Clinical Trials and Research, Patient AdvocacyChromogranin A (CgA), Gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (GEP-NET)

There has been controversy about the utility of Chromogranin A for many years now. Specialists have been critical about its use but to be fair even those less critical still confirm that alone it would not be trusted to formally diagnose Neuroendocrine Cancer. That said, it was still controversial when certain US guidelines were updated to recommend it is not regularly tested. It's well known for being a sensitive but non-specific marker for most tumours of Neuroendocrine type, the non-specificity is mostly due to the other conditions, some of which are highly prevalent in many countries, including but not limited to…

24 May 2023

By Ronny Allan

0 Comments

A spotlight on Chromogranin A

A Spotlight on NENs - Testing Series, Patient AdvocacyChromogranin, Chromogranin A (CgA), Chromogranin B (CgB), Chromogranin C (CgC), Neuroendocrine cancer, Tumour marker

What is Chromogranin A? Chromogranin A (CgA) is an acidic protein released along with catecholamines from chromaffin cells and nerve terminals. This statement alone might explain why it's a good marker to use with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms. It is said to be a measure of tumour bulk. Depending on the test kit being used, you may also see test results for Chromogranin B (CgB) alongside CgA. CgB is said to be less affected by false positives and forms a useful adjunct to the more established chromogranin A measurement. The brand of test kit which includes CgB tends to be confined to…

05 Feb 2019

By Ronny Allan

1 Comment

Proton Pump Inhibitors (…..and H2 Blockers) the NET Effect

The NET Effect Series, TreatmentAcid reflux, Antiacids, Axid (Nizatidine), Barrett's Esophagus, Carcinoid tumour, Chromogranin A (CgA), Cimetidine, Dexilent, Dexlansoprazole, ENETS, Esomeprazole magnesium, Famotidine, Gastric NET, Gastrin, Gastrinoma, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), H2 blockers, H2 receptor antagonist (H2RA), Hormones, Hypergastrinemia, Lansoprazole, Neuroendocrine, Neuroendocrine cancer, Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Nexium, Nizatidine, Nutrition, Omeprazole, Omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate, Pancreastatin, Pantoloc control, Pantoprazole, Pepcid (Famotidine), Prevacid (Lansoprazole), Prilosec (Omeprazole), Proton pump inhibitors (PPI), Protonix (Pantoprazole), Quality of LIfe (QoL), Rabeprazole (Aciphex), Ranitidine (Zantac), Stomach ulcer, Tagamet, Vimovo, Zantac, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

What are Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)? Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most commonly used medications in the world. They reduce the production of acid by blocking the enzyme in the wall of the stomach that produces acid. Acid is necessary for the formation of most ulcers in the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum, and the reduction of acid with PPIs prevents ulcers and allows any ulcers that exist in the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum to heal. PPIs are prescribed to treat acid-related conditions such as: Esophageal, duodenal and stomach ulcers NSAID-associated ulcer Ulcers Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome…

19 May 2017

By Ronny Allan

5 Comments

ASCO 2017 – Let’s talk about NETs #ASCO17

Clinical Trials and Research5-HIAA, Advanced neuroendocrine cancer, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Bone metastases, Cancer of unknown primary (CUP), CAPecitabine TEMozolomide (CAPTEM)., Carcinoid crisis, Carcinoid syndrome, Carcinoid tumour, Chemotherapy, Chromogranin A (CgA), CLARINET, Comorbidity, DUNE trial, Durvalumab, ELECT study, Flushing, Ga68-OPS202, Grading, Hormones, Incurable cancer, Ki-67, Lanreotide, Liver metastases, Metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer, Molecular markers, NETest, Neuroendocrine, Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Octreotide, Pancreatic NET (PanNET), Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), Poorly differentiated, Pre-existing condition, PRRT, Quality of LIfe (QoL), Small intestine NET (SI NET), Somatostatin analogues, Stage, Surgery, Theranostics, Well differentiated

ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) is one of the biggest cancer conferences in the world normally bringing together more than 30,000 oncology professionals from around the world to discuss state-of-the-art treatment modalities, new therapies, and ongoing controversies in the field. As Neuroendorine Tumors is on a roll in terms of new treatments and continued research, we appear to be well represented with over 20 'extracts' submitted for review and display. This is fairly complex stuff but much of it will be familiar to many. I've filtered and extracted all the Neuroendocrine stuff into one list providing you with an…