Peripheral and ovarian venous concentrations of steroid and gonadotropin hormones in postmenopausal women with epithelial ovarian tumors

Abstract

Peripheral serum concentrations of estrone (E 1), estradiol (E 2), testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), cortisol, prolactin, LH, and FSH were measured in 28 postmenopausal women with epithelial ovarian tumors (12 ovarian cancer, 5 borderline malignant, 11 benign neoplasms) and in 15 controls before bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and 1 and 8 weeks postoperatively. The levels of these hormones were also measured in ovarian venous blood of 15 patients with ovarian tumors. E 2 was significantly higher in the tumor group than in controls preoperatively and the levels of E 1 and E 2 decreased after radical operation. Hormone levels were similar in the benign and malignant tumor groups. Only DHEAS levels in peripheral serum were significantly lower in ovarian cancer patients than in the group with benign neoplasm. This was not the case in testosterone and androstenedione measurements. The measured levels of the hormones in ovarian venous blood were highest in mucinous ovarian tumors. E 2 and testosterone levels were higher in mucinous ovarian tumors than in others. LH(hCG)-receptor levels were measured in 24 specimens and none of these showed detectable concentrations of LH(hCG) receptor. The results indicate that of all epithelial tumors mucinous ovarian tumors had hormonal activity most often, and malignancy had no effect on hormonal activity.