Prostaglandins and prognosis in human breast cancer.

Prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha (PGE2 and PGF2 alpha) were measured by gas liquid chromatography--mass spectrometry (glc-ms) in extracts of primary tumours from 78 patients with early breast cancer. These levels have been related to factors of established prognostic value and the patients disease-free interval. Although there was a wide variation in amounts of both prostaglandins extracted from different tumours, no significant relationship was observed between levels of prostaglandins and oestrogen receptors (ER), tumour size, presence of lymph node involvement and disease-free interval following primary treatment. It therefore seems unlikely that the level of these particular prostaglandins within breast carcinomas plays a fundamental role in the prognosis of the disease.