Israel L, Band P
Lancet. 1984 Oct 13;2(8407):843-4. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)90876-6.
It is postulated that some hormones may regulate proliferation of cancer cells in the same way as growth factors produced by cellular oncogenes. The gene coding for the hormone's specific receptor would also act as a cellular oncogene. Normal adult breast cells show few if any oestrogen receptors. In the model put forward the oestrogen receptors in breast cancer cells should not be regarded as a marker of differentiation but as a survival advantage for the tumour when oestrogens are present. Prolactin and somatomedin may also behave as growth factors. In relation to the antitumour effects of hormone antagonists such as tamoxifen, it is postulated that cancer cells are immortalised and prevented from full differentiation by the presence of growth factors and their receptors. If receptor genes are re-expressed through the process of neoplastic transformation, their presence in cancers from unresponsive normal tissues should be regarded as a common event.
据推测，某些激素可能与细胞癌基因产生的生长因子一样，以相同的方式调节癌细胞的增殖。编码该激素特异性受体的基因也会起到细胞癌基因的作用。正常成年乳腺细胞即使有雌激素受体也很少。在提出的模型中，乳腺癌细胞中的雌激素受体不应被视为分化的标志物，而应被视为当存在雌激素时肿瘤的生存优势。催乳素和生长调节素也可能表现为生长因子。关于他莫昔芬等激素拮抗剂的抗肿瘤作用，据推测，生长因子及其受体的存在使癌细胞永生化并阻止其完全分化。如果受体基因通过肿瘤转化过程重新表达，那么它们在来自无反应性正常组织的癌症中的存在应被视为常见现象。
