title: Antitumor effects of analogs of hypothalamic hormones in endocrine-dependent cancers.
abstract: A new approach to the treatment of endocrine-dependent tumors based on analogs of hypothalamic hormones is in the early stages of development, but appears promising and significant. Administration of hypothalamic hormones can mimic hypophysectomy and gonadectomy, and is essentially devoid of side effects. A successful use of agonistic analogs of LH-RH for treatment of endocrine-dependent prostate cancer has been documented in several hundred patients. Experimental studies suggest that agonists and/or antagonists of LH-RH might be useful for treatment of breast cancer and pituitary tumors. Our work in animal models also indicates that analogs of somatostatin, alone or combined with LH-RH agonists, could be considered for therapy of chondrosarcomas, osteosarcomas, and pancreatic cancer. Experiments are in progress on the use of LH-RH analogs for treatment of ovarian cancer, neoplasms of the female genital tract, and for protection against gonadal damage during chemotherapy. These investigations should extend the concepts of endocrine treatment of cancers.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000188:drug therapy; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D051381:Rats; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013004:Somatostatin