Patients with congenital deficiency of IGF-I seem protected from the development of malignancies: a preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
Overexpression of IGF-I occurs in tumors diagnosed in childhood (osteosarcoma, Wilms tumor, neuroblastoma, etc.) and in adults (breast, ovaries, colon and prostate cancer). The aim of our study was to establish the prevalence of malignancies in states of congenital IGF-I deficiency.


METHODS
We surveyed 222 patients with congenital IGF-I deficiency (Laron syndrome, GH gene deletion, GHRH receptor defects and IGF-I resistance) and 338 first and second-degree relatives.


RESULTS
None of the IGF-I deficient patients had cancer, whereas 9-24% of the family members had a history of malignancy.


CONCLUSIONS
Congenital IGF-I deficiency acts as a protecting factor for the development of cancer.
Shevah
O
O
Endocrinology and Diabetes Research Unit, Schneider Children's Medical Center, 14 Kaplan Street, Petah-Tikva 49202, Israel.
Laron
Z
Z
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000172:deficiency*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence
D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I