CIRCULATING HORMONES IN PATIENTS WITH TONGUE CANCER

Serum FSH, LH, prolactin and plasma estradiol, progesterone, testoster one, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) were estimated by RIA method in male patients with tongue can cer (N=110) and in healthy age-matched male controls (N=25). In this r etrospective study, there was a trend towards higher levels of FSH (P< 0.01), LH (P<0.01), prolactin (P<0.001), estradiol (P<0.0001), progest erone (P<0.0001) and DHEA (P<0.01) with concomitant lower levels of te stosterone (P<0.001) and DHEA-S (P<0.02) in patients with tongue cance r compared to controls. We did not find significant difference in horm one levels when grouped according to the site of the tumor and stage o f the disease. Patients below 40 years of age had significantly higher levels of DHEA and DHEA-S and lower levels of FSH than their counterp arts. We observed a decreased ratio of testosterone: estradiol and inc reased levels of FSH, LH and prolactin in tongue cancer patients. Thes e hormonal abnormalities clearly suggest a disturbance in the pituitar y-adrenal-testicular axis. Based on our previous work and from these r esults, we suggest that prolactin might be playing an important role i n the development and progression of tongue cancer.