? Bhcg level elevation

[t11ssy]

My husband Dx in 5/07 with Seminoma had I/O and one dose of chemo in 6/07. Bhcg levels have been normal the entire time prior to treatment and there after, up until this point, now Bhcg level is "slightly elevated" per oncologist at this time and will repeat level in 2 wks. No explanation given for why this could be elevated at this point from oncologist. Anyone with similar happenings?

[Scott]

Welcome, t11ssy. Do you know how "slightly" elevated? Although this may be a sign of recurrence, it could also be a "false positive." A list of possible causes for a false positive bHCG measurement is published at this link and includes marijuana use, human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) or heterophilic antibody, low testosterone, duodenal ulcers, cirrhosis of the liver, and inflammatory bowel disease.

[Karen]

When mu husband had a blip they repeated B-HCG but also tested for LH and FSH...other hormones that if altered can effect B-HCG levels. I know it's hard not to worry, but there are a lot of things that can cause a blip and a repeat is all you can do now. Did he have one round of cisplatin? Hang in there!!!!

[t11ssy]

Thanks for responding, very stressful and scary times for myself and family. Scott, his Bhcg level was 0.9 with our lab values normal shows as <0.5. Like I said before, his levels were always below the 0.5 value. Karen, my husband had one dose of carboplatin. Whats your husbands follow up like? We are currently waiting on repeat blood results and are going for a second opinion at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore MD scheduled for Oct. The posts and everything are new to me,so I hope Im doing them correctly. Thanks again.

[Karen]

It' hard to to freak out, but remember that it is not uncommon to see a little fluctuation. Out lab range is 0-2. Ray was consistantly <1, then it went to 2. Still normal, but I did go into panic mode to the point of calling the office saying I was worried. They repeated the test, and it was back to <1. Our oncologist said everyone thinks the tests are exact, but they really aren't. There are slight variaitions. A repeat is good, and really all that would be done right now. Look at the link Scott sent since some things do cause a false positive. FSH and LH should also be tested, and low testosterone can also be a factor.

Your husband tackled this aggressively, and cisplatin is showing great results so far. My husband did RT. Cisplatin wasn't offerered at the time and was just making its way as a stage 1 seminoma option. Ray's follow ups for years 1-4 are physical and bloodwork every 3 months, CT scan every 6 months. Years 4-10 he goes to a lesser frequency, but after ten it'll be markers ad CT annually for life. I know it's hard, but sit tight and wait for the retest.

In hindsight, I'm glad Ray had a blip that normalized so I'll be less likey to flip out next time it happens.

[t11ssy]

Just wanted to let you know that My husbands Bhcg and AFP results this last time came back WNL. What a relief. We're having trouble getting results from our oncology department though, getting alot of call back tomorrow we're really busy today. This can be very frustrating. We still are opting to go with John Hopkins as a second opinion of the f/u tx and all, just to be on the safe side. And since we are having such a hard time with this office, maybe this will just give us a little piece of mind. Thanks Karen and Scott.

[dadmo]

Peace of mind is a wonderful thing, get that second opinion and sleep well. The results you want from your local oncologist, what are they. If it's the exact numbers from his blood you should accept the WNL, you can make yourself crazy following every little blip. Believe me, I did that with my son.