Table 3. Comparison of demographic and tumour marker data for the raised-hCGβ and control groups demonstrating the two groups to be evenly matched for age, gender, and diagnosis.
| High hCGβ | Control | P-value (Mann–Whitney U -test) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at diagnosis | 55 | 54 | 0.891 |
| Sex (M/F) | 16/17 | 16/17 | |
| Diagnosis | |||
| Metastatic NET (of unknown primary) | 8 | 7 | |
| Pancreatic NET | 15 | 11 | |
| Gastrinoma | 2 | 1 | |
| Bronchial | 4 | 5 | |
| Midgut NET | 1 | 6 | |
| Hindgut NET | 1 | 1 | |
| MTC | 1 | 1 | |
| Thymic NET | 1 | 1 | |
| Mean hCGβ (<2.5 mIU ml−1) | 198.7 | 2.0 | 0.001 |
| Mean AFP (0–11.3 ng ml−1) | 238.1 | 7.9 | 0.001 |
| Mean CgA (0–60 U l−1) | 414.2 | 180.3 | 0.02 |
| Mean Ki-67 (MIB-1) | 13 | 14 | 0.63 |
| Mean survival (months) | 48 | 57.3 | 0.037 |
| Stage IV disease (WHO classification) | 27 of 33 (82%) | 24 of 33 (73%) | 0.382 |
AFP=α-fetoprotein; hCGβ=human chorionic gonadotrophin-β ; NET=neuroendocrine tumour.
Significant differences between the two groups are apparent for the expression of tumour markers AFP, hCGβ, CgA, and survival from the time of diagnosis.