Adenocarcinoma of prostate: role of 17beta-estradiol and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone binding proteins.

Presence of a specific 17 beta-estradiol-binding protein in prostates of patients with adenocarcinoma without hormonal manipulation prior to surgical resection has been reported by us earlier. The present study involves 40 patients with carcinoma of prostate analyzed during the period December, 1974, through June, 1978. Thirty-four patients had metastatic disease, 26 of these were manipulated hormonally after and 8 prior to receptor protein assay. The other 6 were in clinical Stage C and were subjected to transurethral resection alone. The study confirms our earlier report and outlines the role of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) and possibly 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) receptor protein in hormonally responsive and refractory patients. Based on the preliminary findings it seems possible to classify the prostatic carcinoma similar to human mammary cancer for the purpose of selecting patients for endocrine manipulation or treatment with other available modalities.