BIOLOGIC TITRATION OF DIETHYLSTILBESTROL AGAINST ACTIVITY OF PROSTATIC CANCER: EFFECT ON SERUM ALDOLASE*

Abstract

Diethylstilbestrol was administered to a series of patients with untreated, advanced prostatic cancer in dosages increasing from ineffective to effective amts. Min. daily effective dosage was previously shown to be between 0.25 and 0.5 mg. Increasing the dosage to 5.0 mg. daily, or use of orchiectomy, does not usually enhance the effect. An exceptional patient may require as much as 5.0 mg. of diethylstilbestrol daily to effect the max. remission possible with hormonal therapy. The serum aldolase level serves as well as the serum acid and alkaline phosphatase levels to determine the degree of remission of cancer activity In rats, orchiectomy apparently increases the concn. of prostatic tissue aldolse which is not reflected by a concurrent increased serum aldolase level. Intraven. injn. in rabbits of crystalline aldolase resulted in a marked increase in serum aldolase concn. that returned to normal range in 24 to 28 hrs. In patients with advanced prostatic cancer who have increased levels of serum aldolase, the therapeutic effectiveness of diethylstilbestrol on cancer activity was reflected by a prompt decline in serum aldolase concn.