Association of testicular non-Hodgkin's lymphomas with elevated serum levels of human chorionic gonadotropin-like material.

Serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (s-beta-hCG) is a widely used tumor marker in patients with testicular neoplasia. When elevated in patients with an enlarged testis it is considered as a strong indication of a germ cell tumor. Elevation of S-hCG-like material (S-hCG-1) has been reported in nontesticular non-germ cell tumors including non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) as well. It has never been investigated whether testicular NHL is also associated with elevated S-hCG-1. In the present study the relationship of testicular NHL with increased S-hCG-1 was investigated. In the Danish population-based NHL registry, LYFO registry, 12 cases with testicular involvement of the lymphoma at the time of diagnosis and that had S-hCG-1 measured prior to treatment were identified, and cases with elevated S-hCG-1 were analyzed clinicopathologically. Of these, 2 patients had elevated levels. Both cases were high-grade, diffuse B-cell NHL in elderly patients. The patients were hemiorchiectomized and after surgery levels of S-hCG-1 declined to normal. The study indicates that S-hCG-1 elevation is quite frequently associated with testicular NHL. The prognostic significance of this elevation remains to be investigated, as does the usefulness of S-hCG-1 as tumor marker for early detection of recurrences and for monitoring the therapy of patients with S-hCG-1 positive NHL.