SIGNIFICANCE OF POSITIVE CHORIONIC GONADOTROPINS IN APPARENTLY PURE SEMINOMA OF THE TESTIS

Between January, 1969 and December, 1975, 20 patients with Stage I and 8 with Stage II pure seminoma of the testes were treated at the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. Six of these patients had elevated human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels prior to orchiectomy. In addition, 2 of the 6 patients presented with pre-orchiectomy gynecomastia. Patients were treated with radiation therapy to the retroperitoneum; additional mediastinal irradiation was given in some patients. In 4 of the 6 patients, post-orchiectomy HCG titers were measured and were normal. At this writing, all patients were alive without disease 20-98 months following initiation of treatment. The prognosis of patients with pure seminoma and positive pre-orchiectomy HCG titers does not appear to differ from that of pure seminoma patients without elevated HCG levels. © 1979.