Abnormal growth of ovarian antral follicles in breast cancer patients

Abstract

Ovarian antral follicles from patients with breast cancer were compared with follicles from healthy women. Steroid levels in the follicular fluid and the health status of the follicles were evaluated. Follicles were judged to be healthy or atretic by flow cytometric determinations of the deoxyribonucleic acid content of aspirated granulosa cell nuclei. Fifteen of the 25 follicles (60%) from the cancer patients contained unmeasurable or abnormally low steriod levels (i.e., less than 100 ng/ml) which were significantly (P less than 0.001) lower than in follicles of the same health status from healthy women (500 to 1000 ng/ml). It is speculated whether substances other than the usual follicular steriods are produced by the cancer patients, which stimulate mitotic activity of the granulosa cells.