title: Marker half-life analysis as a prognostic tool in testicular cancer.
abstract: In a retrospective study we compared the actual half-life of the serum tumor markers alphafetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin to the clinical course of patients who underwent an operation or chemotherapy for germ cell cancer. Of the 7 patients with residual disease postoperatively 5 had abnormal half-life values and in 3 this knowledge would have been of clinical value. Only 1 of 10 patients with a complete response to chemotherapy had an unfavorable actual half-life compared to 17 of 19 with a less than complete response. Prolonged marker decay rates during the first month of chemotherapy reflected ineffective chemotherapy and appeared to be independent of tumor bulk. Postoperatively, actual half-lives probably are useful prognostically only if the values are abnormal. Similar calculation may be of prognostic value early in the course of induction chemotherapy.
mesh_terms: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins