Human chorionic gonadotropin immunoreactivity in serum of patients with malignant neoplasms

Immunomodulatory effects of sex hormones: requirements for pregnancy and relevance in melanoma

Similarities between the pathologic progression of cancer and the physiologic process of placentation (eg, proliferation, invasion, and local/systemic tolerance) have been recognized for many years. Sex hormones such as human chorionic gonadotropin, estrogens, progesterone, and others contribute to induction of immunologic tolerance at the beginning of gestation. Sex hormones have been shown to play contributory roles in the growth of cancers such as breast cancer, prostrate cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer, but their involvement as putative mediators of the immunologic escape of cancer is still being elucidated. Herein, we compare the emerging mechanism by which sex hormones modulate systemic immunity in pregnancy and their potentially similar role in cancer. To do this, we conducted a PubMed search using combinations of the following keywords: "immune regulation," "sex hormones," "pregnancy," "melanoma," and "cancer." We did not limit our search to specific publication dates. Mimicking the maternal immune response to pregnancy, especially in late gestation, might aid in design of better therapies to reconstitute endogenous antitumor immunity and improve survival.

Diagnosis and management of malignant germ cell ovarian tumors in young females

Germ cell tumors (GCT) compose most of the preadolescent malignant ovarian tumors; dysgerminoma being the most common (48%), followed by endodermal sinus tumor, immature teratoma, mixed GCT and embryonal carcinoma. The percentage of malignant epithelial ovarian tumors rises with increasing age, while that of the GCT tumors declines. Of all tumor markers discussed, only AFP and hCG are being routinely monitored. Their most effective use is in monitoring response to therapy and detecting recurrences early. The current therapeutic regimens are presented, among them bleomycin, etoposide and platinol (BEP) and other new regimens; their influence on the patients' fertility is discussed. Further improvement in the prognosis of these young patients will hopefully follow development of new surgical and chemotherapeutic approaches.

Melanoma and pregnancy. A review

In the last half-century the incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma has increased all over the world according to available reports. No association between risk of melanoma and age at menarche, first birth, menopause or duration of reproductive period has been proven so far. Studies on the effect of parity on relative risk and survival have given divergent results with multiparous women possibly having a better prognosis than nullipara. Women with melanoma diagnosed during pregnancy tend to have thicker tumours, shorter disease-free interval and, maybe, lower 10-year survival rate than non-pregnant matched controls. There is no conclusive evidence that therapeutic abortion improves the cure rate. Multivariate analysis has failed to unveil impaired prognosis in women who become pregnant subsequent to diagnosis.

Lactic dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and human chorionic gonadotropin in a pure ovarian dysgerminoma

Pure dysgerminoma is considered to be a nonsecretary ovarian tumor. In this study serum lactic dehydrogenase, human chorionic gonadotropin, and alkaline phosphatase levels were highly elevated in a 21-year-old woman with unilateral ovarian pure dysgerminoma and fell sharply to normal levels after removal of the tumor. In order to establish the source of these elevated serum enzymes and hormone, the tumor was homogenized and the level of these substances was found to be several times higher than that of normal homogenized ovarian tissue. In addition, the presence of lactic dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase in the dysgerminoma cells was shown by histochemical methods. This is the first report providing evidence that pure dysgerminoma contains and secretes enzymes and hormones which may constitute tumor markers useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with this type of neoplasm.