STEROID-PRODUCTION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF MALIGNANT AND BENIGN OVARIAN-TUMORS INVITRO

Pieces of ovaries and tumors from 45 patients (19 with malignant epith elial tumors, 14 with benign epithelial tumors, and 12 with normal pos tmenopausal ovaries) were incubated, and the release of steroid hormon es from different parts of the tumors and from the contralateral ovari es was measured. Tumor tissue (mainly tumor cells with a small number of stromal cells), tumor base tissue (more stromal cells than tumor ce lls), and control ovaries were preincubated in oxygenated 4-(2-hydroxy ethyl)1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid-minimum essential medium buffer at 37-degrees-C for 30 min followed by a 3-h incubation in fresh, oxyg enated medium. Progesterone, androstenedione, testosterone, and estrad iol were measured in the medium by radioimmunoassay at the end of the incubation period. Malignant tumors released more progesterone and and rostenedione than benign tumors or postmenopausal control ovaries. In contrast, benign tumors released more testosterone than malignant tumo rs or control ovaries. Release of estradiol was low and not significan tly different among control ovaries and malignant and benign tumor tis sue' Different parts of the tumors differed in steroid hormone release . Tissue samples containing more tumor cells than stromal cells releas ed more progesterone than those with predominantly stromal cells. Thus , malignant tumors had an active steroid secretion. Progesterone was t he main steroid released.