Progesterone production in adenocarcinoma of the colon metastatic to the ovaries.
A 59-year-old woman who presented with bowel obstruction, a large pelvic mass, and marked breast tenderness was found to have strikingly elevated preoperative serum concentrations of estrogen and progesterone. After resection of a primary adenocarcinoma of the colon and bilateral ovarian metastases, her serum progesterone and estradiol concentrations gradually declined. The unusual hormone production in the patient was confirmed by regression of clinical symptoms and by in vitro endocrine assays performed on cells from ovarian tumor grown in tissue culture. The tumor consumed pregnenolone and produced progesterone and estradiol in large quantity.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D004967:Estrogens; D011374:Progesterone