[Ethinyl estradiol and hepatocarcinogenesis. An experimental study].

The influence of ethinylostradiol on hepatocarcinogenesis was investigated in the female Dawley-rat. After 14 weekly gastric instillations of 50 mg diethylnitrosamine/kg and simultaneous administration of diet supplemented with ethinylostradiol 10 mg/l kg diet, 77.8% of the rats developed a hepatocellular carcinoma. In contrast, only 31.8% had carcinoma of the liver under similar experimental conditions. The relation of preneoplastic lesions correlated with that of carcinoma induction in both groups. If the results were to be valued on clinical relevance without difficulties a new orientation on surgical indication and transformation of the dignity of benign focal nodular hyperplasia would have to be considered.