Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027627 (metastases)
 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In this study, various serum hormone levels were determined in patients with metastatic testicular germ cell tumours. Raised LH levels, due to a cross reaction with hCG in the radioimmunoassay, were observed in 20 out of 29 patients with active disease and were mainly caused by gonadotrophin production in the tumour tissue. Increased LH levels were frequently observed in the patients with non-seminomatous tumours, but were also found in 4 (out of 6) patients with metastatic seminoma. One should, however, preferably use a specific hCG radioimmunoassay in order to measure tumour hCG as a tumour marker with a high diagnostic accuracy. In patients with active disease despite ongoing combination chemotherapy which included LH suppressing medication, serum testosterone remained above 6 nmol/l in 11 out of 16 patients. These patients remained sexually potent, while testosterone values below 6 nmol/l usually were combined with sexual impotence in patients during combination chemotherapy. These data strongly suggest that the tumour hCG has a biological activity, stimulating the remaining testis to increased testosterone secretion in these patients. The serum E2-17 beta levels were slightly to moderately increased in half of the patients with metastatic disease. Markedly increased serum E2-17 beta levels (> 0.30 nmol/l) and very high prolactin values (> 32 micrograms/l) were observed only in patients with high LH levels (> 9.5 micrograms/l) and a large tumour burden. These observations indicate that E2-17 beta and prolactin determinations are of minor value for early detection of tumour manifestations. Serum FSH cannot serve as a tumour marker in patients with testicular germ cell tumours.
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PMID:Endocrinological studies in patients with metastatic malignant testicular germ cell tumours. 719 65

In 32 subjects with histologically and/or cytologically verified prostatic cancer the hormonal pattern was studied by assaying 18 plasma and urinary hormones or groups of hormones. The tumours were classified according to the UICC classification system and the hormone values were correlated to the local extent of the tumour (T classification), the presence of metastases (M classification) and the differentiation of grade (G classification). It was found that patients with metastases had significantly higher plasma oestradiol and lower testosterone/oestradiol and testosterone/oestrone plus oestradiol ratios as compared to those subjects without metastases. In subjects with moderately or poorly differentiated tumours plasma oestrone + oestradiol was significantly higher and the testosterone/oestrone + oestradiol ratio was significantly lower than in the subjects with well differentiated tumours. In the various TNM classification groups no obvious trends were found with regard to urinary hormones and no significant differences between the groups for plasma FSH, LH, prolactin, progesterone and cortisol were observed. It is concluded that in more advanced cases with metastatic cancer and when tumours are less well differentiated the androgen/oestrogen ratio may be decreased. These alterations have no diagnostic significance because of greater overlapping of individual results between the various groups of patients.
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PMID:Hormonal pattern in prostatic cancer. I. Correlation with local extent of tumour, presence of metastases and grade of differentiation. 730 85

A 59-year-old male patient was transnasally operated on because of a pituitary adenoma with hypopituitarism. A second operation and X-ray therapy followed a half year later due to recurrent tumor. Both neoplasmas were classified as sparsely granulated prolactin cell adenomas. Immunohistochemical studies revealed strong immunoreactivity for prolactin and FSH in the tumor cells of both the pituitary adenoma and the recurrent tumor. Two years later the prolactin plasma levels were extremely elevated. A tumor in the liver was identified. Biopsy revealed a solid endocrine tumor containing prolactin by immunohistology. Due to structural and immunohistological similarities this tumor could be identified as a metastasis of the pituitary tumor. After 5 months of therapy the patient died from thrombembolism. Post-mortem studies confirmed the diagnosis of a metastasizing prolactin-secreting pituitary carcinoma. Only six similar cases have been reported in the literature. Our case report confirms the experience with 35 definite pituitary carcinomas reparted in the current literature: malignant pituitary tumors develop after pituitary surgery and can be identified not from the pituitary tumor, but only from its metastases.
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PMID:[Prolactin producing hypophyseal carcinoma. Case report of an extremely rare metastatic tumor]. 747 9

Antibodies against human inhibin, a peptide hormone produced by ovarian granulosa cells to inhibit FSH, are widely applied to determine serum inhibin levels. Recently, they were, however, proved also to stain follicle cells in ovarian tissue by immunoreactions in histological sections. The commercially available inhibin antibody produced by Serotec, applied to sections of paraffin blocks, stained follicle epithelia in 6/6 samples of ovarian tissue from females under the age of 40 recruited from the archives. Adult granulosa cell tumor tissue samples from primary tumors of the ovary showed positive reaction in 6/6 cases. No positive reaction was found in staining tissues from hemangiopericytomas from males (0/3), leiomyomas, leiomyosarcomas, and a malignant melanoma (0/5), serving as negative controls. No positive reactions could be observed in tumor cells of 10 ovarian carcinomas, whereas in two of these cases single cells of the specialized ovarian stroma stained positively with inhibin. Positive immunostainings were revealed in three late metastases (two within the liver) from granulosa cell tumors in females, primarily misinterpreted as hemangiopericytomas or leiomyosarcomas, because the previously resected primaries of the ovary were not known at the time of liver surgery. The recognition of granulosa cell tumors, especially the distinction of the sarcomatoid growth type from soft tissue tumors, may be difficult, even if immunostaining for intermediate filaments are applied. Immunostaining by antibodies against inhibin, which can be applied reliably in histopathology, may therefore provide a useful tool to distinguish between granulosa cell tumors and genuine soft tissue tumors. This is also of clinical importance, because treatment of the former by cisplatin-based polychemotherapy and antisex hormone therapy proved to be helpful. Furthermore, the inhibin antibody can be used as an early serum marker for detecting tumor recurrence months before clinical evidence.
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PMID:Monoclonal antibodies against inhibin represent key markers of adult granulosa cell tumors of the ovary even in their metastases. A report of three cases with late metastasis, being previously misinterpreted as hemangiopericytoma. 761 39

Tumor growth, possible malignant transformation or metastatic propagation and hormonal patterns were evaluated over a year in luteoma induced by introducing an ovary into the spleen of ovariectomized 60 day-old rats. Sham castrated animals had a piece of muscle inserted into the spleen. Jugular blood samples were taken monthly. After a year animals were cycled and decapitated. Troncal blood was collected, autopsies were performed and luteoma were measured and fixed in 10% buffered formalin. Serum LH, FSH, PRL, estradiol and progesterone were measured. Serum inhibin content was determined in one month-old tumors-bearing animals and estrous rats as controls. After one year no external changes in tumor-bearing rats were observed, nor differences in body weight or mortality rates compared to Sham animals. Metastatic propagation was absent. Routine histological examination showed two types of tumors according to either granulosa or luteal cell predomination, tumor type did not determine hormonal patterns. However, a clear relationship between gonadotropin levels and tumor size was established. Low gonadotropins: Small tumors, 18.7% of cases and high gonadotropins: Large tumors, 81.3%. In Sham animals gonadotropins attained castrate levels and remained elevated until the end of the experiment. In the Small group no increases in gonadotropins or estradiol were detected, progesterone and PRL fluctuated. In the Large tumor group LH increased to Sham titers until month 7, then fell to initial levels, FSH augmented significantly as from month three and remained high up to month 5. No variations in either estradiol, progesterone or PRL were observed. Serum inhibin of one month-old tumor-bearing rats was significantly elevated, justifying the lack of FSH increase at this time point. We conclude that these luteoma do not suffer malignant transformation or induce metastases. They appear in two histological types. Tumor size depends on hormonal patterns. The delay in the initial increase and the sharp decrease observed in FSH in animals bearing Large tumors suggest a possible role for inhibin in this regulation.
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PMID:Development of an experimental ovarian tumor over a year in the rat. 1050 43

Human germ cell tumors have the unique capacity for totipotential differentiation. AFP (the product of normal yolk sac) and HCG (produced by trophoblastic tissues) are frequently produced by germ cell tumors. The a-subunit of the glycoprotein HCG is identical to that of several pituitary glycoprotein hormones (e.g. TSH, LH, FSH), whereas the b-subunit of HCG, TSH, LH and FSH is homologous but distinct in the terminal amino acid sequence suggesting that HCG is part of a superfamily of gestational hormones. However, the role of TSH within this hormone superfamily is still not yet established. A 24-year old patient was admitted to our clinic because of a widespread recurrence of a germ cell tumor (stage IIIC, Lugano classification). The routine hematologic and blood chemical tests were normal, yet, an elevated HCG was found. In addition, increased levels of the thyroid hormones FT3 and FT4 were seen, although, this was not associated with clinical symptoms of a hyperthyreosis. There was no history of hyperthyreosis and thyroidal autoantibody screening revealed normal titers. An ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland showed no abnormalities and no iodine exposure had occurred during the last months. To mobilize peripheral stem cells (PBSC) he was initially treated with paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) and ifosfamide (8.000 mg/m2)) followed by apheresis of PBSC. The patient was then entered in our phase-II-study for relapsing germ cell carcinomas using a high-dose chemotherapy regime (paclitaxel 175 mg/m2, ifosfamide 9.000 mg/m2, carboplatin 900 mg/m2, etoposide 900 mg/m2) with subsequent retransfusion of collected stem cells. Due to cranial metastases an cranial irradiation was also performed. After three courses of this protocol an excellent partial remission of the tumor lesions was achieved and the HCG value dramatically decreased. Due to elevated thyroidal hormones, the patient was initially treated with thiamazole (20 mg) resulting in decrease of the thyroidal hormones. Thus, the thiamazole dose was reduced to 5 mg and then omitted. The decrease of the thyroidal hormones FT3 and FT4 strongly correlated with the reduction of HCG values (r2 0.91 and 0.77, p < 0.0008). To date there is only slight evidence that enhanced HCG levels may cause, at least in part, a hyperthyreosis (e.g. gestational hyperthyreosis), however, the underlying biochemical mechanism still remains unclear. In this case report we have demonstrated a clear positive correlation between HCG levels and thyroidal hormones in a patient with germ cell tumor suggesting a direct stimulation of hormone producing thyroidal cells by HCG, however, this was not associated with clinical symptoms of hyperthyreosis. Currently, several in vitro studies are underway in our laboratory to further elucidate the biochemical mechanisms of HCG induced hyperthyreosis.
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PMID:HCG induced hyperthyreosis in germ cell cancer. 1132 84

A 45-year old man presented with a slow-growing, unilateral beige testicular mass, with a diameter of 4 cm. The testosterone, FSH, LH, estradiol and betahCG serum levels were within normal limits, and there were no associated hormonal syndromes. The patient was treated with inguinal orchidectomy. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of nests of cells with large eosinophilic, slightly granular cytoplasm. There was only a mild degree of atypia and no mitotic activity. The tumor extended into the rete testis. There were intratumoral calcifications, and in the vicinity of the tumor, there was intratubular growth. Although this case is histologically similar to the three previously reported cases of clinically benign large cell calcifying Sertoli cell tumor of the testis with rete testis involvement, the current patient developed right sided para-aortic lymph node metastases 18 months after the initial diagnosis.
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PMID:Malignant large cell calcifying Sertoli cell tumor of the testis. 1274 74

A targeted treatment that effectively destroys human breast, prostate, ovarian, and testicular cancer cells that express luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin (LH/CG) receptors has been developed. The treatment consists of a conjugate of a membrane-disrupting lytic peptide (Hecate, Phor14, or Phor21) and a 15-amino acid segment of the beta chain of CG. Because these conjugates act primarily by destroying cell membranes, their effects are independent of cell proliferation. The conjugates are relatively small molecules, are rapidly metabolized, and are not antigenic. In a series of independent experiments conducted in three different laboratories, the validity of the concept has been established, and it has been shown that the LH/CG receptor capacity of the cancer cells is directly related to the sensitivity of the lytic peptide conjugates. Sensitivity to the drugs can be increased by pretreating prostate or breast cancer cells with FSH or estradiol to up-regulate LH/CG receptors. A series of 23 in vivo experiments involving a total of 1630 nude mice bearing xenografts of human prostate or breast cancer cells showed convincingly that all three lytic peptide-betaCG compounds were highly effective in destroying tumors and reducing tumor burden. Hecate-betaCG was less effective in mice bearing ovarian epithelial cancer cell xenografts, but was highly effective in treating granulosa cell tumors in transgenic mice. In addition, Hecate-betaCG and Phor14-betaCG were highly effective in targeting and destroying prostate and breast cancer cell metastases in the presence or absence of the primary tumors. Although effective in vitro, neither Hecate nor Phor14 alone were effective in reducing primary tumor volume or burden in nude mice bearing prostate or breast cancer xenografts.
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PMID:Targeting breast and prostate cancers through their hormone receptors. 1603 98

We studied 20 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma undergoing radioiodine therapy (> or = 100 mCi dose) before the age of 21: 10 patients without distant metastases received a mean dose of 145 mCi and 10 with lung involvement received 270 mCi. One or more years after ablative therapy, xerostomia was present in two patients but was not accompanied by more severe complications such as oral ulcers or fissures, and 99mTcO4- scintigraphy confirmed salivary dysfunction. One patient showed keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Blood counts did not reveal abnormalities caused by radioiodine therapy. FSH was normal in 18 patients. Patients with elevated levels had received radioiodine just over a year ago and repetition of the exam after 6 months showed that FSH had returned to normal. The 6 male patients had normal LH and testosterone levels. Analysis did not reveal signs of pulmonary fibrosis secondary to treatment in the 10 cases with iodine-accumulating metastases in this organ. Our data suggest that ablative therapy employing a dose of 100 to 300 mCi is safe in young individuals, but persistent complications such as salivary dysfunction and conjunctivitis may occur.
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PMID:[Safety of radioiodine therapy in patients with thyroid carcinoma younger than 21 years]. 1618 52

In 1996, the German Registry of Pituitary Tumors was founded by the Pituitary Section of the German Society of Endocrinology as a reference center for collection and consultant pathohistological studies of pituitary tumors. The experiences of the first 10 years of this registry based on 4122 cases will herein be reported. The data supplement former collections of the years 1970-1995 with 3480 surgically removed tumors or lesions of the pituitary region. The cases were studied using histology, immunostainings and in some cases also molecular pathology or electron microscopy. The adenomas were classified according to the current World Health Organization classification in the version of 2004. From 1996 on 3489 adenomas (84.6%), 5 pituitary carcinomas (0.12%), 133 craniopharyngiomas (3.2%), 39 meningiomas (0.94%), 25 metastases (0.6%), 22 chordomas (0.5%), 115 cystic non-neoplastic lesions (2.8%), and 46 inflammatory lesions (1.1%, 248 other lesions or normal tissue (6.0%)) were collected by us. The adenomas (100%) were classified into densely granulated GH cell adenomas (9.2%), sparsely granulated GH cell adenomas (6.3%), sparsely granulated prolactin (PRL) cell adenomas (8.9%), densely granulated PRL cell adenomas (0.3%), mixed GH/PRL cell adenomas (5.2%), mammosomatotropic adenomas (1.1%), acidophilic stem cell adenomas (0.2%), densely granulated ACTH cell adenomas (7.2%), sparsely granulated ACTH cell adenomas (7.9%), Crooke cell adenomas (0.03%), TSH cell adenomas (1.5%), FSH/LH cell adenomas (24.8%), null cell adenomas (19.3%), null cell adenoma, oncocytic variant (5.8%), and plurihormonal adenomas (1.3%). Following the WHO classification of 2004, the new entity 'atypical adenoma' was found in 12 cases in 2005. Various prognostic parameters and clinical implications are discussed.
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PMID:Pathohistological classification of pituitary tumors: 10 years of experience with the German Pituitary Tumor Registry. 1728 10


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