The Role of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin as Tumor Marker: Biochemical and Clinical Aspects.

The Role of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin as Tumor Marker: Biochemical and Clinical Aspects. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2015;867:159-76 Authors: Sisinni L, Landriscina M Abstract Tumor markers are biological substances that are produced/released mainly by malignant tumor cells, enter the circulation in detectable amounts and are potential indicators of the presence of a tumor. The most useful biochemical markers are the tumor-specific molecules, i.e., receptors, enzymes, hormones, growth factors or biological response modifiers that are specifically produced by tumor cells and not, or minimally, by the normal counterpart (Richard et al. Principles and practice of gynecologic oncology. Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia, 2009). Based on their specificity and sensitivity in each malignancy, biomarkers are used for screening, diagnosis, disease monitoring and therapeutic response assessment in clinical management of cancer patients.This chapter is focused on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone with a variety of functions and widely used as a tumor biomarker in selected tumors. Indeed, hCG is expressed by both trophoblastic and non-trophoblastic human malignancies and plays a role in cell transformation, angiogenesis, metastatization, and immune escape, all process central to cancer progression. Of note, hCG testing is crucial for the clinical management of placental trophoblastic malignancies and germ cell tumors of the testis and the ...
Source: exp Mol Med - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tags: Adv Exp Med Biol Source Type: research