title: ACTH and cortisol plasma levels in cancer patients treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate at high dosages.
abstract: The effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) at high dosages on ACTH and cortisol plasma levels have been studied on seven patients which were carriers of ER+ and PR+ neoplasm. ACTH and cortisol plasma levels were studied at 8:00 a.m., before and after a 4-week treatment with MPA at dosages of 1000 mg/die at basal conditions and after a metyrapone stimulation test. The results obtained show that the MPA treatment causes a highly significant drop of both cortisol and ACTH plasma levels. The metyrapone stimulation test performed before and after MPA treatment confirms the suppressive effect of MPA on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland axis. These data suggest a cortisol-like action of MPA with a negative feed-back mechanism on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland axis.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone