Diagnostic significance of steroid hormones in patients with ovarian cancer.

One hundred and fourteen pre- and postmenopausal patients with nonendocrine tumors or simple cysts of the ovary were studied. These patients had androstenedione (A) plasma levels determined preoperatively. Some of these subjects had estrone (E1) and 17 beta-estradiol (E2) determinations also. Of the tumor patients, 58 had also measured the postoperative steroid levels. The results were compared with the hormone levels found in 188 normal women, who were of similar weight and reproductive status. Significantly increased (p less than 0.001) A, E1 and E2 plasma concentrations were found in postmenopausal patients with nonfunctioning tumors. In the tumor patients before the menopause, the levels of A were significantly elevated (p less than 0.001). In the patients with simple cysts, these steroid levels were within the normal range. Following ovariectomy, the decrease of plasma A suggested that the origin of the high levels of this steroid was the ovary where the neoplasm resided. For possible diagnostic purposes, both A and E1 abnormal test results showed adequate sensitivity and good specificity to permit detection of ovarian carcinoma after the menopause. Plasma levels of A were partially related to the histological types and FIGO Stages of the tumor.