Urinary chorionic gonadotropin subunits and beta-core in nonpregnant women. A study of benign and malignant gynecologic disorders.
BACKGROUND
The presence of urinary excretion products of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has been proposed as a tumor marker. To ascertain the clinical value in gynecologic cancers, the authors studied 612 nonpregnant women.


METHODS
Three different assays in four clinical groups were compared: no disease, benign disease, malignant disease, and complete remission of previously treated malignant disease. The assays were for the urinary beta-core, "total" beta-hCG, and free alpha-subunit.


RESULTS
Measurement of the alpha-subunit was of no obvious clinical value. In some patients with benign disease, hCG metabolites were elevated. In the 141 patients with active gynecologic malignancy the sensitivity of the total beta-hCG assay was 47% and that of the beta-core assay was 36%. The specificities were 80.3% and 90.4%, respectively. Advanced cancers generally had higher levels of total beta-hCG and beta-core. Squamous cell and poorly differentiated cervical tumors had higher levels of total beta-hCG than did adenocarcinomas and well-differentiated cervical tumors. Invasive, serous, endometrioid, and germ cell ovarian tumors had higher total beta-hCG, beta-core, and alpha-subunit levels than did borderline, mucinous, and clear cell ovarian tumors. Six of 16 patients with disease in complete remission had elevated levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The excretion of hCG and its metabolic fragments is a common event in gynecologic cancer, but sensitivity and specificity are low, and there is little consistent relationship between tumor stage and histologic type.
Neven
P
P
Gynaecological Oncology Unit, Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London.
Iles
R K
RK
Lee
C L
CL
Hudson
C N
CN
Shepherd
J H
JH
Chard
T
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000652:urine*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000652:urine; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000652:urine*; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D003536:Cystadenocarcinoma / Q000652:urine; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000652:urine*; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000652:urine*; D015292:Glycoprotein Hormones, alpha Subunit / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000652:urine; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000652:urine; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000652:urine; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000652:urine*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000652:urine; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000652:urine; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000652:urine
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D015292:Glycoprotein Hormones, alpha Subunit; D010446:Peptide Fragments