Medical Health Encyclopedia

TRAP - Tartrate Resistant Acid Phosphatase

TRAP is also released during the activity of osteoclasts, a type of cell that breaks down bone. Because of this, any condition in which bone is broken down faster than usual may lead to excessive levels of TRAP in the blood. In this case the TRAP is not contained within the blood cells, but is free in the plasma, the liquid part of blood.

The activity of cancers that invade bone, such as multiple myeloma, and breast, lung or prostate cancer which has metastasized to bone, can be followed by measuring TRAP in the plasma. This test is not yet in widespread use for these conditions, but it may be used more in the future if research proves it to be useful.

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