DISRUPTION OF THE CIRCADIAN PATTERNS OF SERUM CORTISOL IN BREAST AND OVARIAN-CANCER PATIENTS - RELATIONSHIPS WITH TUMOR-MARKER ANTIGENS

Few data are available on the circadian rhythmicity in cancer patients . Since monitoring the disease usually implies the follow-up of blood concentrations of a number of biological variables, it would be of val ue to examine the profile of the circadian variations of serum cortiso l and tumour marker antigens. This we did in 33 cancer patients (13 br east cancer patients and 20 ovarian cancer patients). The profiles of serum cortisol were documented, since this hormone is considered as a strong marker of circadian rhythms. This study shows that 8 out of 13 breast cancer patients and 15 out of 20 ovarian cancer patients had de eply altered cortisol circadian patterns. The modifications were eithe r high levels along the 24 h scale and/or erratic peaks and troughs an d/or flattened profiles. Within 24 h, variations of tumour marker anti gens as large as 70% were observed but no typical individual circadian patterns could be found. No relationship between cortisol subgroups a nd concentration of tumour marker antigens at 8 h could be observed (K olmogorov-Smirnov's test). The question thus arises as to the origin o f these alterations, and whether they are related to a cause or a cons equence of the disease, and their possible incidence upon therapeutic designs.