American Board of Pathology (ABPath) Practice Test 2025 - Free Pathology Exam Practice Questions and Study Guide

Testicular germ cell tumors commonly lead to elevated levels of certain tumor markers, particularly human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). These biomarkers are critical in the diagnosis, management, and monitoring of germ cell tumors.

hCG is often elevated in cases of germ cell tumors, particularly in choriocarcinoma or mixed germ cell tumors. AFP is predominantly seen elevated in non-seminomatous germ cell tumors, such as embryonal carcinoma and yolk sac tumors. The presence of these tumor markers in the serum not only aids in establishing the diagnosis but can also provide information about the tumor's behavior and response to treatment.

Other choices like testosterone, DHT, LH, FSH, estrogen, and progesterone are not typically associated with testicular germ cell tumors in the same way that hCG and AFP are. These hormones might show changes due to the impact of the tumor on the testicular function or due to the treatments employed but do not reliably serve as markers for diagnosing or monitoring germ cell tumors. Thus, the elevation of hCG and AFP is a hallmark characteristic of testicular germ cell tumors.