Abstract
There are three types of ovarian neoplasms: (1) Those which arise from the surface epithelium covering the ovary. (2) Those which are derived from the cortical mesenchymal stroma. (3) Those which develop from germ cells. Our laboratory has concentrated its effort on solid tumors in women of the first type, epithelial, which has the highest incidence and is the most lethal. Development of these tumors is correlated with aging in the ovary. They form primarily during the perimenopause. Among women, 64% of the total ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed between ages 41 and 60 years1. Our approach has been to establish stable tumor cell lines from patient specimens for use as in vitro models. We have investigated the response of these cells to steroid hormones because we hypothesized that these tumors retain some metabolic characteristics which are specific to the ovary. Our data demonstrate that testosterone and androstenedione, but not cortisol, inhibited proliferation of ovarian tumor cells in vitro by a mechanism which was independent of steroid receptors. These androgens are routinely synthesized and secreted by human ovary, and in the menopausal ovary the primary source of androgen is the stromal cell compartment. Because a relatively high local concentration of ovarian androgen exists in vivo, it is possible that androgen may suppress ovarian epithelial carcinoma in women as well. If it does, then development of this carcinoma may be facilitated when the postmenopausal ovary fails to produce adequate androgen during postreproductive years.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Zaloudek, C. The Ovary. In: Gompel, C. and S. G. Silverberg, S. G. (eds.) Pathology In Gynecology And Obstetrics. J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia (1985).
Young, J. L., Jr., Percy, C. L. and Asire, A. J. “Surveillance, epidemiology and end results: incidence and mortality data”, 1973–1977. National Cancer Institute Monograph 57, DHHS no. (NIH) 81–2330. U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. pp 50-51 (1981).
Day, T. G. Jr. and Smith, J. P. Diagnosis and staging of ovarian cancer. Semin Oncol. 2:217 (1975).
Smith, E. M. and Anderson, B. The effects of symptom and delay in seeking diagnosis on stage of disease at diagnosis among women with cancers of the ovary. Cancer 56:2727 (1985).
Hacker, N. F., Berek, J. S., Laguasse, L. D., Nieberg, R. K. and Elashoff, R. M. Primary cytoreductive surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer. Obstet. Gynecol. 61:413 (1983).
Adelson, M. D., Baggish, M. S., Seifer, D. B., Cassell, S. L. and Thompson, M. A. Cytoreduction of ovarian cancer with the Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator, Obstet. Gynecol. 72:140 (1988).
Brenner, D. E. and Greco, F. A. Multiagent chemotherapy in advanced ovarian carcinoma. In: Alberts, D. S. and Surwit, E. A. (eds.) Ovarian Cancer. Martinus Nijhoff, Boston, pp 147 (1985).
Louie, K., Ozols, R., Myers, C., Ostechega, Y., Jenkins, J. and Howser, D. Long-term results of a cisplatin containing combination chemotherapy regimen for the treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma. J. Clin. Oncol. 4:1579 (1986).
Bourhis, J., Goldstein, L. J., Riou, G., Pastan, I., Gottesman, M. M. and Benard, J. Expression of a human multidrug reisistance gene in ovarian carcinomas. Cancer Res. 49:5062 (1989).
Slotman, B. J. Rationale For The Use Of Endocrine Therapy In Ovarian Cancer. Thesis Publishers, Amsterdam (1990).
Kuhnel, R.. de Graaff, J., Rao, B. R. and Stolk, J. G. Androgen receptor predominance in human ovarian carcinoma. J. Steroid Biochem. 26:393 (1987).
Kuhnel, R., Rao, B. R., Poels, L. G., Delemarre, J. F. M., Kenemans, P. and Stolk, J. G. Multiple parameter analysis of ovarian cancer: Morphology, immunohistochemistry, steroid hormone receptors and aromatase. Anticancer Res. 8:281 (1988).
Thompson, M. A., Adelson, M. D., Kaufman, L. M., Marshall, L. D. and Coble, D. A. Aromatization of testosterone by epithelial tumor cells cultured from patients with ovarian carcinoma. Cancer Res. 48:6491 (1988).
Kuhnel, R., Delemarre, J. F. M., Rao, B. R. and Stolk, J. G. Correlation of aromatase activity and steroid receptors in human ovarian carcinoma. Anticancer Res. 6:889 (1986).
Plotz, E. J., Wiener, M. and Stein, A. A. Steroid synthesis in cystadenocarcinoma of the ovaries. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 94:189 (1966).
Plotz, E. J., Wiener, M., Stein, A. A. and Hahn, B. D. Enzymatic activities related to steroid synthesis in common ovarian cancer. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 97:1050 (1967).
Hughesdon, P. E. Thecal and allied reactions in epithelial ovarian tumors. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Br. Emo. 63:702 (1958).
McNatty, K. P., Smith, D. M., Makris, A., DeGrazia, D. Tulchinsky, C., Osathanondh, R., Schiff, I. and Ryan, K. J. The intraovarian sites of androgen and estrogen formation in women with normal and hyperadrogenic ovaries as judged by in vitro experiments. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 50:755 (1980).
Longcope, C., Hunter, R. and Franz, C. Steroid secretion by the postmenopausal ovary. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 138:564 (1980).
Judd, H. Hormonal dynamics associated with the menopause. Clin. Obstet. Gynecol. 19:775 (1976).
Freedman, R. S., Pihl, E., Kusyk, C., Gallager, H. S. and Rutledge, F. Characterization of an ovarian carcinoma cell line. Cancer 42:2352 (1978).
Tseng, L., Mazella, J., Mann, W. J. and Chumas, J. Estrogen synthesis in normal and malignant human endometrium. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 55:1029 (1982).
Cole, P. A. and Robinson, C. H. A peroxide model reaction for placental aromatase, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 110:1284 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Thompson, M.A., Adelson, M.D. (1993). Aging and Development of Ovarian Epithelial Carcinoma: The Relevance of Changes in Ovarian Stromalandrogen Production. In: Yang, S.S., Warner, H.R. (eds) The Underlying Molecular, Cellular and Immunological Factors in Cancer and Aging. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 330. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2926-2_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2926-2_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6270-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2926-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive