[Significance of serum ferritin level in testicular tumors]

The clinical value of serum ferritin level in patients with testicular cancer was studied. Seven cases of seminoma and nine cases of non-seminoma from 1983 to 1989 were evaluated. The serum levels of ferritin, human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were estimated before and after treatment. Abnormally high values of serum ferritin before treatment were noted in 4/7 (57%) in seminoma, 3/9 (33%) in non-seminoma and 7/16 (44%) in total. The total rate showing abnormally high values of serum ferritin was lower than that of beta-HCG and LDH. Meanwhile it was the same as that of AFP and higher than that of CEA. Changes in the serum ferritin level did not always correspond with the clinical course. In 3 out of 6 tumor free patients, higher levels of serum ferritin before treatment became normal after treatment. In one patient with a high level of serum ferritin before treatment, the level of serum ferritin remained higher and retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis developed after treatment. In 9 cases with normal serum ferritin level, 7 showed the normal range of ferritin level throughout the treatment course. These findings suggests that in some patients with testicular cancer, the serum ferritin level might serve as a tumor marker indicating the efficacy of the treatment and the tumor recurrence.