Sex hormone levels in the serum of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma

The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of several pituitary and gonadal hormones in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We examined circulating levels of LH, FSH, Testosterone, Oestradiol, Progesterone and Delta 4-Androstenedione in 36 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, 12 patients with chronic pancreatitis and 87 age matched controls. According to our findings males with pancreatic cancer were found to have higher levels of FSH (p<0.01), LH and oestradiol (p<0.001) and lower levels of progesterone (p<0.01) and testosterone (p<0.05) than the controls. Female patients with pancreatic cancer were found to have higher levels of oestradiol (p<0.001) and lower levels of LH, FSH and progesterone (p<0.001), compared with group of healthy volunteers. Our data provide evidence of a generalised dysfunction of the hypothalamic-hypophysial-gonadal axis in pancreatic cancer patients.