Circulating sex steroids and sex hormone binding globulin in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Circulating total testosterone is reported to be low in pancreatic adenocarcinoma but the free, more biologically important fractions of sex-steroid hormones remain unstudied. This study further elucidates the influence of pancreatic cancer on circulating sex steroids. Serum testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, oestradiol and androst-4-ene-3, 17-dione and the free fractions of these hormones were determined in 46 patients. Control groups comprised healthy people (40) and patients with tumours of other primary sites (45). Both total (p less than 0.001) and free (p less than 0.001) androgen fractions were markedly decreased, free testosterone by about 17-fold, and free dihydrotestosterone by about 35-fold; sex hormone binding globulin levels were elevated (p less than 0.001) in all male cancer patients. Total oestradiol was elevated 2-fold in pancreatic cancer (p less than 0.01) compared with controls or other primary malignancy patients.