estramustine and Stomach-Neoplasms

The subjects for the present study were 270 patients with prostate cancer who underwent initial treatment at our hospital over the 14 years from 1986 to 1999. They were investigated to assess the relationship between their treatment and metachronous tumors. Sixteen patients (5.9%) developed cancer of other organs after starting treatment for prostate cancer. These metachronous tumors included gastric cancer in six patients as well as lung cancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, renal cancer, bladder cancer, skin cancer, leukemia, and mediastinal adenocarcinoma. Treatment for prostate cancer other than surgery included radiotherapy in eight patients, administration of estramustine phosphate sodium in nine patients, and LH-RH analogues in six patients. The chi-square test showed no significant difference in the incidence of metachronous cancer in relation to the presence/absence of these three therapies. The present study therefore ruled out the possible induction of other tumors by treatment for prostate cancer.

Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; Estramustine; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms, Second Primary; Prostatic Neoplasms; Stomach Neoplasms

We have studied the effect of estradiol and the combined estradiol/nitrogen mustard compound estramustine on cell lines derived from human gastric and colorectal cancers. Significant stimulation of the two gastric and two fo the colorectal cell lines occurred at physiological concentrations of estradiol. Estramustine showed an inhibitory effect in all of the cell lines at 10 micrograms/l, and a direct dose-dependent inhibition was seen in two of the cell lines. Each of the cell lines was immunohistologically stained using the estrogen-receptor-related protein ERD5, and all of the cell lines except one were positive for this protein. The inhibitory effect of estramustine was lost with increasing concentrations of estradiol, suggesting that the effects of estramustine may be linked to estrogen receptors. We conclude that reduction of circulating levels of estradiol, or treatment with estramustine may have a beneficial effect in the palliation of gastrointestinal malignancy.

Topics: Cell Division; Colorectal Neoplasms; Estradiol; Estramustine; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; Receptors, Estrogen; Stomach Neoplasms; Tumor Cells, Cultured