Skip to main content
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1983 Jun;47(6):763–769. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1983.129

Prognostic significance of serum prolactin levels in advanced breast cancer.

M Dowsett, G E McGarrick, A L Harris, R C Coombes, I E Smith, S L Jeffcoate
PMCID: PMC2011370  PMID: 6860546

Abstract

Serum prolactin concentrations were measured in 135 postmenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer prior to their treatment with one of 3 endocrine therapies: aminoglutethimide (AG), tamoxifen (T) + AG, or T + AG + danazol. The mean level of prolactin was higher, and there were more individuals with levels of prolactin greater than or equal to 500 mIUl-1, in the group of patients who did not respond to treatment. Of the patients whose disease progressed, those with prolactin levels greater than or equal to 500 mIUl-1 had a significantly shorter survival. It appears that high prolactin levels indicate a poor prognosis to endocrine therapy and the probability of a shorter than average survival time.

Full text

PDF
763

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Cowden E. A., Ratcliffe W. A., Beastall G. H., Ratcliffe J. G. Laboratory assessment of prolactin status. Ann Clin Biochem. 1979 May;16(3):113–121. doi: 10.1177/000456327901600126. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Di Carlo R., Muccioli G. Prolactin receptor in human mammary carcinoma. Tumori. 1979 Dec 31;65(6):695–702. doi: 10.1177/030089167906500605. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ehara Y., Siler T., VandenBerg G., Sinha Y. N., Yen S. S. Circulating prolactin levels during the menstrual cycle: episodic release and diurnal variation. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1973 Dec 1;117(7):962–970. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(73)90069-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Engelsman E., Heuson J. C., Blonk Van Der Wijst J., Drochmans A., Maass H., Cheix F., Sobrinho L. G., Nowakowski H. Controlled clinical trial of L-dopa and nafoxidine in advanced breast cancer: an E.O.R.T.C. study. Br Med J. 1975 Jun 28;2(5973):714–715. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5973.714. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Harris A. L., Powles T. J., Smith I. E. Aminoglutethimide in the treatment of advanced postmenopausal breast cancer. Cancer Res. 1982 Aug;42(8 Suppl):3405s–3408s. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Jeffcoate S. L. Diagnosis of hyperprolactinaemia. Lancet. 1978 Dec 9;2(8102):1245–1247. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)92112-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Koninckx P. Stress hyperprolactinaemia in clinical practice. Lancet. 1978 Feb 4;1(8058):273–273. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)90516-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Leung B. S., Sasaki G. H., Leung J. S. Estrogen-prolactin dependency in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced tumors. Cancer Res. 1975 Mar;35(3):621–627. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Moult P. J., Dacie J. E., Rees L. H., Besser G. M. Prolactin pulsatility in patients with gonadal dysfunction. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1981 Apr;14(4):387–394. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1981.tb00625.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nagasawa H. Prolactin and human breast cancer: a review. Eur J Cancer. 1979 Mar;15(3):267–279. doi: 10.1016/0014-2964(79)90037-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Noel G. L., Suh H. K., Stone J. G., Frantz A. G. Human prolactin and growth hormone release during surgery and other conditions of stress. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1972 Dec;35(6):840–851. doi: 10.1210/jcem-35-6-840. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Pearce J. M., McGarrick G., Chamberlain G. V., Jeffcoate S. L. Lack of effect of interview and gynaecological examination on plasma levels of prolactin and cortisol. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1980 May;87(5):366–369. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1980.tb04560.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Smithline F., Sherman L., Kolodny D. Prolactin and breast carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 1975 Apr 10;292(15):784–792. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197504102921506. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ward H. W. Combined anti-prolactin and anti-oestrogen therapy for breast carcinoma. Clin Oncol. 1977 Mar;3(1):91–95. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Willis K. J., London D. R., Ward H. W., Butt W. R., Lynch S. S., Rudd B. T. Recurrent breast cancer treated with the antioestrogen tamoxifen: correlation between hormonal changes and clinical course. Br Med J. 1977 Feb 12;1(6058):425–428. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6058.425. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES