Overview
Normal AFP levels for men for for non-pregnant women are less than 300 nanograms per milliliter.
Greater than normal levels of AFP may be due to:
- Cancer in testes, ovaries, biliary (liver secretion) tract, stomach, or pancreas
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Liver cancer
- Malignant teratoma
- Recovery from hepatitis
- Problems during pregnancy
Most "positive" AFP tests are actually false positives.
During pregnancy, increased levels of AFP may indicate:
- Fetal defects
- Spina bifida
- Anencephaly
- Omphalocele
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- Duodenal atresia
- Turner's syndrome
- Intrauterine death
Review Date 7/13/2021
Updated by: John D. Jacobson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.