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A need for cautious interpretation of elevated serum germ cell tumor markers in children. Review and own experiences
- Source :
- Biomarkers in medicine. 9(9)
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Protocols for pediatric germ cell tumors (GCT) allow for chemotherapy (CHT) initiation without histological diagnosis, based on typical clinical and radiological picture and increased alphafetoprotein (AFP) or beta-human chorionic gonadotropin serum levels. Such strategy may result in misdiagnoses in rare cases. We present two patients with abdominal tumors and high serum AFP levels, diagnosed as GCT. In both, no tumor shrinkage and increasing AFP was observed after first cycles of multidrug CHT for pediatric GCT. Histological examination of biopsied tumor tissues revealed metastatic cholangiocarcinoma in patient 1 and pancreatoblastoma in patient 2, which implicated immediate change of therapy. Presented cases support the necessity to consider the tumor biopsy when patients diagnosed with GCT based on typical clinical presentation and elevated AFP do not respond to CHT with AFP decrease and tumor size reduction.
- Subjects :
- Male
Pathology
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
medicine.drug_class
medicine.medical_treatment
Clinical Biochemistry
Pancreatoblastoma
Elevated serum
Drug Discovery
medicine
Biomarkers, Tumor
Humans
Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human
Diagnostic Errors
Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Chemotherapy
business.industry
Biochemistry (medical)
Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal
medicine.disease
digestive system diseases
Tumor Burden
medicine.anatomical_structure
Child, Preschool
Female
Germ cell tumors
alpha-Fetoproteins
Differential diagnosis
Gonadotropin
business
Germ cell
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 17520371
- Volume :
- 9
- Issue :
- 9
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Biomarkers in medicine
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....56fae483db85d4e1c0d6336c3e9c838f