RESULTS OF THE ESTROGEN FEEDBACK TEST IN FEMALE LARYNGEAL-CANCER PATIENTS

Background: The high incidence ratio males to females is the reason fo r considering a hormonal dependency of these tumours for many years. T he low incidence of laryngeal cancer in women has generally been sugge sted as being due to ''oestrogen defense''. Although we do have some c ircumstantial evidence in the meantime, no final evidence on this topi c is available so far. Methods: The oestrogen feedback effect could be another more objective parameter to bring more light to the research of this question. As one of the regulation mechanisms of the hypolhala mic-pituitary-adrenal axis the oestrogen feedback mechanism represents the regulation of LH and FSH production in the pituitary gland by per ipheral oestrogens. The mechanism is known to exist lifelong under nor mal conditions. Whereas the positive oestrogen feedback is typical for women, a negative response pattern is mostly found in men. The positi ve response pattern is characterised by increasing LH values, higher t han the starting level, on the 3 th and 4 th day after intravenious ap plication of oestrogens. Results: The results of the present investiga tion show some difference. 5 of 6 examined women with laryngeal cancer were found to have a clearly negative oestrogen feedback, whereas 4 o f 5 healthy women had a positive oestrogen feedback effect. 5 healthy men showed the typical negative effect for men. Conclusion: We may ass ume a narrow relationship between the male regulation type and the occ urrence of laryngeal cancer in women, if further trials including more patients are able to reproduce these results.