title: Case report: use of insulin-like growth factor-I gene expression to distinguish between breast and ovarian cancer.
abstract: Autocrine expression of polypeptide growth factors may be important in the growth regulation of cancer cells. Different growth factor activities have been identified in a variety of tumors. This article describes a case of malignant ascites in a patient recently treated for breast cancer. The use of growth factor mRNA expression as a factor to differentiate between breast and ovarian origins of cancer cells contained in malignant ascites was examined. Expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), IGF-II, and transforming growth factor alpha mRNA was examined by ribonuclease protection assay. The tumor cells expressed IGF-II and transforming growth factor alpha, but not IGF-I mRNA. This pattern of growth factor expression is compatible with a breast cancer primary of the malignant cells contained in the ascites fluid. Therefore, IGF-I mRNA expression may be useful in distinguishing between adenocarcinomas of breast or ovarian origins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine/Oncology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 78284-7884.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Von Hoff
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ravdin
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood; D001201:Ascites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I