Hormones & Neoplasia

Relationships with neoplasia

  1. Hormones cause neoplasms
    • Tamoxifen: endometrial adenocarcinoma (partial oestrogen agonist)
    • Oestrogen causes endometrial cancer
    • Methylated steroid hormones cause liver neoplasms
  2. Hormones treat neoplasms
    • Tamoxifen + breast
    • Progestogens + endometrial cancer
    • Antiandrogens + prostate cancer
    • Thyroid cancer with thyroxine
  3. Neoplasms secrete hormones
    • Eutopic (from tumour tissues that normally secrete hormones) - adrenal, ovarian, thyroid, pituitary, kidney
    • Ectopic (from tissues that do not normally secrete hormoneS) -  carcinoid, neuroendocrine tumours
  4. Neoplasms may be hormone dependent
    • Papillary carcinoma of thyroid
    • Breast ca may be dependent on oestrogen