Testis tumor markers: How accurate are they?

Initial reports on the usefulness of radioimmunoassays for the beta chain of human chorionic gonadotropin and for alpha-fetopretein suggested that these 2 tests would detect metastatic non-seminomatous testicular cancer in 93 per cent of the cases. In a review of 30 patients with stages 2 and 3 non-seminomatous testicular cancer in our institutions we found a 20 per cent falsely negative rate for these serum assays. In all these cases the beta-human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein levels were simultaneously negative despite proved existence of metastatic disease.