Inappropriate secretion of human placental lactogen and β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin by cancer of the uterine cervix

Human placental lactogen (hPL) and the β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) were studied in serum samples of (a) 45 patients with cancer of the uterine cervix, (b) 30 normal men, and (c) 30 normal nonpregnant women. Sera of 27 of 45 (60%) and 13 of 32 (41%) patients with cervical cancer were positive for hPL and β-hCG, respectively. hPL and β-hCG were not detectable in sera of normal subjects mentioned above. Serum hPL was detected with similar incidence in patients with cancer of cervix of grades II, III, and IV (FIGO classification) whereas β-hCG was found with increasing incidence in association with increasing clinical grades. That Serum hPL was not detectable in normal or nonneoplastic conditions and its high incidence in cervical cancer patients indicate its possible use as marker in cancer of cervix