-
Views
-
Cite
Cite
MANUBAI NAGAMANI, EDWARD V. HANNIGAN, EDGAR A. DILLARD, TUNG VAN DINH, Ovarian Steroid Secretion in Postmenopausal Women with and without Endometrial Cancer, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 62, Issue 3, 1 March 1986, Pages 508–512, https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-62-3-508
- Share Icon Share
Abstract
The concentrations of testosterone (T), androstenedione (A), estradiol (E2), and estrone (El) were measured in peripheral and ovarian venous serum obtained at the time of bilateral oophorectomy from 15 postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer and 9 without cancer. The cancer and noncancer (control) patients were matched for age, weight, and years since menopause. In women with endometrial cancer, significantly higher ovarian than peripheral venous concentrations were found for all hormones measured [T, 3781 ± 1255 (±SE) vs. 213 ± 43 pg/ml (P < 0.01); A, 5352 ± 1845 vs. 1299 ± 187 pg/ml (P < 0.04); E2, 52 ± 11 us. 23 ± 3 pg/ml (P < 0.02);El, 81 ± 12 vs. 32 ± 2 pg/ml (P < 0.001)], but in the control patients, only the concentration of T was significantly higher (623 ± 108 vs. 156 ± 21 p/gml; P < 0.001). Ovarian venous concentrations of T and A were significantly higher in thin women with cancer than in obese women with cancer. These results suggest that the ovaries of postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer secrete significantly more T and A than do the ovaries of women without cancer, while secreting only minimal amountsof E2 and El. This increase in ovarian steroid secretion might play a role in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer.