Tumour marker tests for testicular cancer

Tumour markers may be found in a blood test with some cancers. They can help diagnose some testicular cancers and show how well treatment is working.

What are tumour markers?

Some testicular cancers make chemicals or proteins that are released into the blood. These are called tumour markers. Doctors can measure tumour marker levels by taking a blood test.

Most non‑seminomas and some seminomas have raised levels of tumour markers. But not everyone with testicular cancer has raised markers.

There are 3 main tumour markers:

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) – can be raised in non-seminomas but not in seminomas.
Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) – can be raised in non-seminomas and sometimes in seminomas.
Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) – can be raised in both seminomas and non-seminomas.

How are tumour markers used?

Tumour markers can be used to:

help diagnose testicular cancer
monitor you after surgery
check how you are responding to treatment
check that the cancer has not come back.

You have blood tests to measure tumour markers before surgery to remove the testicle. You have them measured again, usually a week after surgery. Even if you do not have raised levels of tumour markers before your surgery, you still have them checked afterwards and as part of your follow-up after treatment. You will have regular blood tests to check the levels of your tumour markers.

If the levels of tumour markers fall quickly after the operation, it can be a sign that all the cancer has been removed. This helps the doctors plan your treatment.

Cancer tests and waiting for results

About our information

References

Below is a sample of the sources used in our testicular cancer information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at cancerinformationteam@macmillan.org.uk

The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) Guidelines on Testicular Cancer. March 2015. Available from: https://www.baus.org.uk/professionals/sections/testicular_cancer.aspx (accessed April 2022).

European Association of Urology (EAU) Guidelines on Testicular Cancer 2022. Available from: https://d56bochluxqnz.cloudfront.net/documents/full-guideline/EAU-Guidelines-on-Testicular-Cancer-2022.pdf (accessed April 2022).

European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Testicular seminoma and non-seminoma: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Last updated 2022.

European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Testicular seminoma and non-seminoma: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Last updated 2022. Available from: https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(22)00007-2/fulltext (accessed April 2022).

Reviewers

This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer. It has been approved by Senior Medical Editor, Dr Ursula McGovern, Consultant Medical Oncologist.

Our cancer information has been awarded the PIF TICK. Created by the Patient Information Forum, this quality mark shows we meet PIF’s 10 criteria for trustworthy health information.

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We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

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We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

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