Prevalence of ectopic hCG production in non-endocrine malignancy
Dash, R.J.; Dutta, T.K.; Purohit, O.P.; Jayakumar, R.V.; Gupta, B.D.
Indian Journal of Cancer 15(2): 23-27
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-509X PMID: 750357 Document Number: 126425
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was measured in 371 patients with various malignancies of nonendocrine origin by a specific radioimmunoassay. hCG was detected in 155 (42%) of them. Highest percentage of detectability was encountered in patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix (64%) followed by those of testes (62%), breast (56%) and liver (54%). Ectopic production of hCG in patients with carcinoma cervix was previously unrecognized. Patients with epithelial tumors had the highest positivity rate of hCG detectability. No correlation was observed between presence of 'hCG in circulation to age and sex of the patients. Ectopic secretion of hCG may result from de-repression of hCG genome rather than over production by the tumor tissue.