Steroid receptors in urological malignancies.

Within urological practice, three important types of cancer seem to be under endocrine influence or develop in endocrine-dependent organs: prostate cancer, hypernephroma and testicular tumors. Endocrine therapy is not used in testicular cancer, its value in renal cell carcinoma is limited, whereas it is a dominant form of therapy for prostate cancer. There seems to be a definite relation between androgen receptor content in primary prostatic carcinoma and response to hormonal manipulations. The presence of estrogen receptors is not well documented and probably the major effect of estrogen therapy is indirect, being exerted via the hypothalamo-pituitary axis. Progestin receptors are present in hyperplastic prostate as well as in prostate cancer and may indicate cases sensitive to progestin therapy. The assay method still needs considerable refinement before it can be introduced into clinical practice.