Estrogens, Testosterone and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin in Relation to Liver Cancer in Men

Vol. 60, No. 4, 2001

Free Abstract Article (Fulltext) Article (PDF 162 KB)

Laboratory/Clinical Translational Research

Estrogens, Testosterone and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin in Relation to Liver Cancer in Men
Hannah Kuper^a, Christos Mantzoros^b, Pagona Lagiou^a,c, Anastasia Tzonou^c, Rulla Tamimi^a, Lorelei Mucci^a, Vassiliki Benetou^c, Evangelos Spanos^d, Sherri O. Stuver^a, Dimitrios Trichopoulos^a,c

^aDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass., USA,
^bDivision of Endocrinology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Mass., USA,
^cDepartment of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Athens Medical School, Goudi, Athens, Greece,
^dBiomed, International Diagnostic Center, Athens, Greece

Address of Corresponding Author

Oncology 2001;60:355-360 (DOI: 10.1159/000058532)

Key Words

Estrogen
Liver cancer
Sex hormone binding globulin
Testosterone

Abstract

Objective: Liver disease in men has been associated with an imbalance of serum estradiol and testosterone. We have evaluated whether serum estradiol and testosterone levels are altered in male liver cancer patients as a result of a specific effect of the disease or because of the associated liver damage. Methods: We have performed a hospital-based case-control study in Greece. The study subjects were all men; 73 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 25 with metastatic liver cancer (MLC) patients and 111 control subjects. Serum estradiol, testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels were measured for each subject. Data were analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results: Mean serum estradiol levels were significantly higher among HCC patients as well as among patients with MLC compared to controls. Mean serum testosterone levels were significantly lower among HCC patients as well as among patients with MLC compared to controls. The mean SHBG levels did not differ significantly between the groups. After controlling for the degree of liver damage, the elevated serum estradiol and reduced serum testosterone levels among HCC and MLC patients were no longer significant. Conclusions: Changes in sex steroid levels among patients with liver damage are due to the liver damage per se and not to specific disease processes.

Author Contacts

Hannah Kuper
Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health
677 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115 (USA)
Tel. +1 617 432 4560, Fax +1 617 566 7805, E-Mail hkuper@hsph.harvard.edu

Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 19

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