title: Monitoring hemangioblastoma tumor burden using plasma erythropoietin levels.
abstract: We report a 39-year-old female patient with a hepatic hemangioblastoma, polycythemia and elevated plasma erythropoietin (Epo) levels. Following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx), her plasma Epo levels and hematocrit normalized but began to rise several months later. This rise correlated with the appearance of multiple lung metastases. The tumor was implicated as the source of excess Epo production using Northern analysis of a resected metastatic lung nodule. Based on our results, the measurement of plasma Epo levels in patients with Epo secreting tumors could be of general utility in assessing tumor burden.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Munt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erb
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Humphries
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scudamore
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shackleton
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krystal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004921:Erythropoietin