Fetal hemoglobin detected serologically and immunohistochemically in cancer patients

Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) was serologically and immunohistochemically evaluated, as a hematological or an ectopic cancer marker, mainly in germ cell tumors. The serological measurement of whole blood (wb) HbF and plasma HbF were compared to those of standard cancer markers, including hCG, AFP and CA125. Among 46 patients of testicular teratoma (mostly in remission) elevated concentration of wb, or plasma HbF were found in 17 patients (37%) of whom five had active disease. In 29 patients with inactive seminoma, only three (10%) had elevated plasma concentration of HbF. Seven out of ten patients with hydatidiform mole (HM) had elevated wb or plasma HbF, which in most of them was associated with elevated hCG. In 14 (70%) of 20 patients with ovarian adenocarcinoma the concentration of wb HbF was elevated. At the same time, in most of them (60%) the standard markers (CA125 or/and CA15-3) also had positive values. All four cases of breast cancer with elevated wb HbF had active disease, or elevated standard marker. Very high concentrations of wb HbF in lung cancer were associated with métastases. Immunohistochemically, HbF was a useful marker in HM and in differentiated structures of teratoma, but not in seminoma.