Advanced esophageal carcinoma expressing Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG-b)

Abstract

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG; HCGb) is expressed by various solid malignancies, including lung, pancreas, gastric and cervical cancers. Some previous studies suggest that this indicates an adverse prognosis. However, most of these studies evaluated HCGb expression by immunohistochemical methods, and the clinical significance of elevated levels of serum HCGb is not known. It may indicate a particularly aggressive disease. This phenomenon has not yet been studied in esophageal cancers. Here we present a case of a middle-aged woman with a poorly differentiated esophageal carcinoma that expressed HCGb, and elevated levels of the hormone appeared in her serum. These elevated serum levels were associated with a very aggressive clinical course.

Keywords

• esophageal cancer
• human chorionic gonadotropin
• hcg