In patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumours (NSGCTs) who receive chemotherapy and have residual disease, a persistently elevated serum marker level after induction chemotherapy indicates active and progressive disease. High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) is the standard treatment for patients with relapsed NSGCT. We present a case of a patient with residual disease from NSGCT who showed an increase in serum alpha-fetoprotein levels after HDCT, mimicking progression. Resection of the mass did not show viable cells in the tumour specimen, thus suggesting that the elevated level of the marker was expression of hepatic reconstitution after drug-induced liver damage. HDCT is increasingly used in cases of relapsed NSGCT, and the possibility of treatment-induced alpha-fetoprotein elevation must be taken into account in patient management. © 2013 Edizioni Scientifiche per l'Informazione su Farmaci e Terapia.

Alpha-fetoprotein surge following high-dose chemotherapy in germ cell tumours / Luca Burgio, Salvatore; Menna, Cecilia; Papiani, Giorgio; Casadei Gardini, Andrea; De Luigi, Nicoletta; Corsi, Roberto; Rosti, Giovanni. - In: JOURNAL OF CHEMOTHERAPY. - ISSN 1120-009X. - 25:(2013), pp. 119-122. [10.1179/1973947812Y.0000000044]

Alpha-fetoprotein surge following high-dose chemotherapy in germ cell tumours

Casadei Gardini, Andrea;
2013-01-01

Abstract

In patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumours (NSGCTs) who receive chemotherapy and have residual disease, a persistently elevated serum marker level after induction chemotherapy indicates active and progressive disease. High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) is the standard treatment for patients with relapsed NSGCT. We present a case of a patient with residual disease from NSGCT who showed an increase in serum alpha-fetoprotein levels after HDCT, mimicking progression. Resection of the mass did not show viable cells in the tumour specimen, thus suggesting that the elevated level of the marker was expression of hepatic reconstitution after drug-induced liver damage. HDCT is increasingly used in cases of relapsed NSGCT, and the possibility of treatment-induced alpha-fetoprotein elevation must be taken into account in patient management. © 2013 Edizioni Scientifiche per l'Informazione su Farmaci e Terapia.
2013
Alpha-fetoprotein levels
Germ cell tumour
High-dose chemotherapy
Progressive disease
Residual mass
Oncology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology (medical)
Infectious Diseases
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11768/103981
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