AFP blood test
Alpha-fetoprotein
In short
A typical adult AFP result is under 10 ng/mL (not pregnant). A small rise is most often linked to the liver being irritated or healing, or to pregnancy. When it is used to follow a known condition, the trend over repeat tests matters most. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
A protein made before birth, found only in small amounts in adults.
AFP is mostly used to follow a known condition over time, such as long-term liver disease or some tumors. It is not a good screening test, because it rises for many other reasons. It goes up when the liver is inflamed or healing, and naturally in pregnancy, which has its own scale.
Is my AFP high or low?
Type your result to see where it sits.
Nothing you type leaves this device.
Typical range
| For | Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Adults · not pregnant | under 10 | ng/mL |
| Adults · not pregnant | under 8.3 | IU/mL |
Typical ranges for adults. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
If your AFP is high
A small rise is most often linked to the liver being irritated or healing, or to pregnancy. When it is used to follow a known condition, the trend over repeat tests matters most.
Common reasons
- Pregnancy, when AFP rises naturally
- A liver healing after hepatitis (liver inflammation) or another injury
- Long-term hepatitis B or C
- Liver scarring (cirrhosis) or other long-term liver disease
- Less often: a liver cancer, or a tumor of the testicle or ovary
What can throw it off
Lab methods differ, so AFP results compare best when repeat tests are done at the same lab.
Questions to take to your appointment
- 1Is this test being used to follow something, or was it a one-off?
- 2Could my liver condition, or a pregnancy, explain it?
- 3How does it compare with my earlier results?
Read together with
Doctors rarely read AFP alone. These usually sit next to it.
Quick answers
What is the AFP blood test?
AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein): A protein made before birth, found only in small amounts in adults. AFP is mostly used to follow a known condition over time, such as long-term liver disease or some tumors. It is not a good screening test, because it rises for many other reasons. It goes up when the liver is inflamed or healing, and naturally in pregnancy, which has its own scale.
What is a normal AFP level?
For most adults, AFP is typically under 10 ng/mL (not pregnant). Some countries print it in IU/mL, so check the unit first. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
What does a high AFP mean?
A small rise is most often linked to the liver being irritated or healing, or to pregnancy. When it is used to follow a known condition, the trend over repeat tests matters most. Common reasons include pregnancy, when AFP rises naturally; a liver healing after hepatitis (liver inflammation) or another injury; long-term hepatitis B or C; and liver scarring (cirrhosis) or other long-term liver disease. A doctor reads it together with your other results and how you feel.
What can affect my AFP result?
Lab methods differ, so AFP results compare best when repeat tests are done at the same lab.
What should I ask my doctor about my AFP?
Questions worth taking to the appointment: Is this test being used to follow something, or was it a one-off? Could my liver condition, or a pregnancy, explain it? How does it compare with my earlier results?
What this page can’t do
It reads each number on its own.
Doctors read results together — ALT with AST, ferritin with hemoglobin, TSH with free T4. A pattern says more than any single flag.
It doesn't know you.
Your age, your medicines, how you feel and your last result all change what a number means.
It doesn't remember.
Close this page and your results are gone. That's on purpose: nothing was ever sent to us.
We also make Vita: Health Coach, an app for those parts. It reads your whole report with your medicines and history in mind, answers follow-up questions in plain words, and keeps your reports in one place — for you and for the people you look after.
Vita: Health Coach on the App StoreSources
- MedlinePlus — Alpha fetoprotein blood test
- MedlinePlus — Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) tumor marker test
- ABIM — Laboratory test reference ranges (January 2026)
Stuck on a word? See the medical words. How we choose our sources. More about Vita Health Coach.