Correlations between serum progesterone and smoking, and the growth fraction of cervical squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Possible correlations between growth fraction of squamous cervical carcinomas and serum progesterone (se-P) concentrations, smoking habits and DNA ploidy were studied.


METHODS
The DNA S-phase fraction (SPF), measured by flow cytometry was used as a marker of tumour growth in 103 cases of squamous cervical cancer stage IB-IV. DNA-ploidy (peridiploidy vs. aneuploidy), Se-P, se-Estradiol, smoking habits, parity, menopausal status, clinical stage and histopathological grading were compared to SPF < 14% vs. SPF > or = 14%.


RESULTS
Aneuploidy, (odds ratio (OR) 10.0), se-P > or = 2.6 nmol/l (OR 7.5) and smoking (OR 3.0) were significantly associated with SPF > or = 14%, after adjustments for all factors included in the study. The association with se-P and smoking was attributed to an increased risk for the premenopausal women in the study.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study an increased tumour growth was associated with increased leves of se-P, smoking and aneuploidy in women with invasive squamous cervical carcinoma. This study seems to experimentally confirm epidemiological studies, where smoking and long-term use of oral contraceptives have been linked to cervical neoplasms.
Lindström
A
A
Institute of Gynecological Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.
Backström
T
T
Hellberg
D
D
Tribukait
B
B
Strang
P
P
Stendahl
U
U
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000782:Aneuploidy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010298:Parity; D011003:Ploidies; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol