What does the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin - hCG blood test mean? Get a free analysis of your blood test now. Here's what you get with our free analysis:
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone primarily associated with pregnancy. However, it's also used as a tumor marker for certain types of cancer. In non-pregnant individuals, elevated hCG levels can indicate the presence of germ cell tumors, particularly testicular cancer in men and ovarian or trophoblastic tumors in women. It's also used to monitor treatment response and detect recurrence in these cancers. Additionally, some non-cancerous conditions can cause slightly elevated hCG levels. The test is particularly useful in diagnosing and monitoring choriocarcinoma, a rare cancer that can develop from placental tissue.
A reading below the lower range (<0 mIU/mL) is generally not clinically significant for cancer markers. In non-pregnant individuals, hCG levels are expected to be very low or undetectable. Low or undetectable levels are considered normal for men, non-pregnant women, and children. However, in the context of cancer monitoring, if hCG levels were previously elevated and now show a significant decrease, it might indicate a positive response to cancer treatment.
A high hCG reading (>5 mIU/mL) in non-pregnant individuals can be a cause for concern and warrants further investigation. In men, it may indicate testicular cancer or other germ cell tumors. In women who are not pregnant, it could suggest ovarian cancer, trophoblastic disease, or rarely, other types of cancer. However, slight elevations can also occur in non-cancerous conditions like hypogonadism or marijuana use. It’s crucial to interpret high hCG results in conjunction with other clinical findings and tests. Persistent elevation or increasing levels over time are more concerning than a single elevated result.