Acute effects of various chemotherapeutic combinations on hypophyseal and pineal hormone secretions in cancer patients

Abstract

It is known that prolonged therapy with cytotoxic drugs may affect the endocrine system. The present study was carried out to establish whether administration of chemotherapeutic drugs acutely influences hypophyseal and pineal activities. Nineteen patients affected by solid tumors were included in the study, 5 of whom were treated with CMF, 4 with FEC, 4 with CEV, and 6 with CDDP. Cytotoxic drugs were intravenously administered. Venous blood samples were collected at zero time and at 30, 60, 120 and 180 min after drug administration. On a separate occasion, venous blood samples were drawn during a saline infusion only. In each sample FSH, LH, GH, PRL, TSH, cortisol, melatonin and beta-endorphin were determined by the RIA method. The only significant changes observed in this study were a rise in PRL and a decrease in beta-endorphin after CDDP administration. Melatonin was enhanced after CDDP and CMF, and cortisol decreased after CMF and FEC, but their variations were not statistically significant with respect to those seen during saline infusion.