L'ATTIVITA’ ESTROGENA, DOPO OVARO-SURRENECTOMIA, IN DONNE PORTATRICI DI CARCINOMA AVANZATO DELLA MAMMELLA

Abstract

33 women, with advanced carcinoma of the breast, were treated with the ovaro-adrenalectomy, 20 cases were in menopause. After the ovaro-adrenalectomy, the estrogens were present in the urine, also when the results, after the surgery, were favourable. A cytologyc scheme according to estrogen activity is described. The scheme comprehends four cytologyc pictures; the last one of these (picture D) signifies the absence of the estrogenic activity (acidophilic basal cells in the vaginal smears). The first picture (A), for the presence of the superficial cells signifies an high estrogenic activity; the other two pictures (B and C), with the normal basal cells, signify a low but still present estrogenic activity. In the women in menopause with advanced carcinoma of the breast, before the ovaro-adrenalectomy, the vaginal smear had frequently the picture (A); on the contrary, in women in menopause without the cancer of the brest, the picture was (B) or (C). After the ovaro-adrenalectomy, in favourable cases, forward the picture (D), it is described a new picture in which particular cells of the intermediate type, with prominent nuclei, are present (picture E). In these cases the urinary estrogens are lower than before the surgery. In cases with an unfavourable course, after surgery, the cytologyc picture is (A) or (B) and the estrogenic valeues are growing up. The AA. observe that the best results are obtained by bilateral ovaro-adrenalectomy or by bilateral ovariectomy and monolateral adrenalectomy; with the bilateral ovariectomy alone or bilateral adrenalectomy alone, the course was always unfavourable, with cytologycal pictures (A) and (B) without any relation to the age of the patient and the date of their menopause.