This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

AFP in testicular cancer

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • AFP - raised levels are seen most frequently in germ cell tumours and hepatocellular carcinoma, but also in gastric, colon, biliary, pancreatic and lung cancers (~20% of patients)
  • elevated serum AFP levels indicate the presence of yolk sac elements, i.e. mixed germ cell tumours (especially embryonal carcinoma and yolk sac tumours), and occur in all stages of disease [sensitivity 50-80% in metastatic disease, 70-72% in undifferentiated malignant teratoma, 60-64% in intermediate malignant teratoma, and 64% of patients with yolk sac or combination tumours]. AFP concentrations >1000 (850 kU/L) m g/L are found in 53% of undifferentiated malignant teratomas, 16% of intermediate malignant teratomas, and 26% of combination tumours (1)
  • elevated serum AFP levels may provide stronger evidence than histology in distinguishing pure seminomas and tumours with trophoblastic elements

Reference:

  1. Doherty AP, Bower M, Christmas TJ: The role of tumour markers in the diagnosis and treatment of testicular germ cell cancers. Br J Urol 79: 247-252, 1997.

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.