Study on the Systematic Use of Serial Estimation of Human Placental Lactogen (hPL) and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) for the Management of Trophoblastic Neoplasia

The author analyzed the secretion pattern of human placental lactogen (hPL) to understand the endocrine properties of trophoblastic cells and to know the clinical usefulness of assay of this hormone in patients of trophoblastic neoplasia with systematic serial estimation in comparison with the secretory behaviour of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). And the following conclusion was extracted. Neoplastic trophoblastic cells might maintain a certain high activity in hCGsecretion and a low activity in hPL-secretion along with the degree of malignancy. In clinical practice, measurement of hPL was a very sensitive parameter to understand the completeness of treatment, especially in cases of hydatidiform mole. Serum hPL disappeared very quickly because of its very short half life in vivo, if the removal of the tumor was complete, or the treatment was sufficient.