Concentration of free hCGβ subunit in serum as a prognostic marker for squamous-cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx

✍ Scribed by Johan Hedström; Reidar Grenman; Hans Ramsay; Patrik Finne; Johan Lundin; Caj Haglund; Henrik Alfthan; Ulf-Håkan Stenman

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 123 KB
• Volume: 84
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19991022)84:5<525::aid-ijc14>3.0.co;2-q

✦ Synopsis

This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum hCG␤ in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients (n ‫؍‬ 59) with cancers of the oral cavity and oropharynx. As a reference marker we used squamous-cell carcinoma antigen (SCCAg). A blood sample was obtained from all patients before primary surgery. Serum hCG␤ was determined by a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay (IFMA) and SCCAg by a solid phase immunoenzymometric assay. Elevated preoperative hCG␤ levels were observed in 8 (14%) and elevated SCCAg in 12 (20%) out of 59 patients. Patients with preoperatively elevated hCG␤ had a shorter recurrence-free survival when compared with those with normal hCG␤ levels (logrank Chi-squared ‫؍‬ 6.83, p ‫,)900.؍‬ and the risk-ratio for recurrence during follow-up for those was 3.6 (95% CI ‫؍‬ 1.29-9.94). In a Cox multivariate model hCG␤ (p ‫؍‬ 0.039) and stage (p ‫؍‬ 0.044) were independent prognostic factors. SCCAg showed no correlation with recurrence-free survival. We conclude that determination of hCG␤ in serum is a potential marker in the prognostic evaluation of patients with SCC of the oral cavity and oropharynx.