title: Changes in serum sex steroid levels during megestrol acetate therapy.
abstract: We hypothesized that megestrol acetate (MA) may work on breast carcinoma by inducing changes in serum sex steroid levels. We prospectively measured levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), estrone (E1), and estradiol (E2) in 18 postmenopausal women before and during megestrol acetate therapy. MA significantly suppressed serum FSH, LH, DHEA and E1 levels. However, this was accompanied by a marked increase in serum E2 levels as measured by radioimmunoassay performed on whole serum. MA did not cross-react with the anti-E2 antibodies used in the assay. Elevated E2 levels also occurred in oophorectomized and/or adrenalectomized patients indicating the ovary and adrenal are not the source of the elevated E2 levels. We conclude that MA may be metabolized to oestrogenic compounds that crossreact with antibodies to E2, explaining the elevated E2 levels observed. The effects of these oestrogenic metabolites on breast carcinoma are unknown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201-3098, USA.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Pommier
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Woltering
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008535:Megestrol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019290:Megestrol Acetate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010052:Ovariectomy; D017698:Postmenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D006728:Hormones; D004970:Estrone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D008535:Megestrol; D019290:Megestrol Acetate