A study of the Role of Sex Hormones in Rat Ovarian Cancer.

The effects of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone on the growth of 7, 12 dimethylbenz (a) anthracene (DMBA) induced adenocarcinomas in rats (Wistar strain) were evaluated. Estrogen resulted in the highest acceleration of tumor volume. The histologic features were a solid structure associated with a significant proliferation of connective tissues and with many signet ring cells with intracytoplasmic canaliculi. Progesterone changed the histologic features to a more immature adenocarcinoma associated with a notable solid area with many mitotic figures, although the growth rate of the tumor was the same as the controls. On the contrary, testosterone induced the slowest tumor growth and a histologically scirrhus pattern. The results of this preliminary observation indicate a possible role for sex steroids in the ovarian tumorigenic process.