title: Correlation between serum estradiol/progesterone ratio and survival length in invasive squamous cell cervical cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is epidemiological and laboratory evidence for an association between invasive squamous cell cervical cancer and female sex steroid hormones, such as oral contraceptives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Premenopausal (n = 72) and postmenopausal (n=118) women with invasive squamous epithelial cervical cancer were included in this study. Serum estradiol and progesterone and DNA S-phase fraction as a measure of proliferative activity were analysed, in 51 pre-, and 77 postmenopausal women, among whom 13 and 43, respectively, died from disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant positive correlation between a low serum estradiol/progesterone ratio and short survival in those premenopausal women who eventually died from cancer (p=0.02). Clinical stage was similar when the estradiol/progesterone ratio was dichotomized. There was no association between estradiol/progesterone ratio and survival-months in postmenopausal women. In both pre- and postmenopausal women deceased from cervical cancer, a S-phase fraction at or above 12% was correlated with reduced survival-months (p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results, if confirmed, contribute to bridging the gap between previous epidemiological and laboratory findings of an association between female sex steroid hormones and squamous cell cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Research, Nissers väg 3, 791 82 Falun, Sweden. dan.hellberg@ltdalarna.se
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hellberg
authors.forename: Annika K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lindström
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stendahl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016196:S Phase; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D004247:DNA