[The significance of hormone receptors in hormone therapy of gastric cancers]

Abstract

The influence of sex hormones on carcinogenesis of the stomach was investigated clinically and experimentally. Thereafter, hormone therapy for Borrmann type 4 gastric cancers was started and achieved good results according to some reports. The presence of hormone receptors (ER and PGR), which are detected in 10-20% of gastric cancers, was one of the bases of that therapy. However, the role of hormone receptors in hormone therapy is not clear because the stomach is not the target organ of sex hormones. The mechanisms of hormone effects on cancer therapy have been described as follows: (a) Hormone receptors play an important role in stimulating the proliferation of cells via hormone-receptor complexes. (b) Hormones play a direct role in stimulating the proliferation of cells without any involvement of receptors. We found evidence that sex hormones might suppress the growth of some stomach cancers. On that basis, we started a trial of a hormone therapy using tamoxifen in females and estriol in males after radical surgery for Borrmann type 4 gastric cancer. We hope to obtain good results in this new trial.