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Inhibition of Human Mammary and Prostatic Cancers by Adrenalectomy^*

( Ben May Laboratory for Cancer Research and the Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago 37, Ill.)

Simultaneous bilateral adrenalectomy in man can now be done with comparative safety (29 consecutive cases without fatality.) The adrenalless man on adequate hormonal substitution therapy presents the metabolic picture of excellent health, although adrenal insufficiency can develop rapidly when hormonal replacement is inadequate to meet the demands of the organism.

In four cases of advanced cancer of the prostate which became reactivated after previous antiandrogen control, some or all of the following effects were observed: relief of intractable bone pain, gain in body weight, reduction of considerably increased acid phosphatase levels and of the least percentage of thermocoagulable proteins, together with an increase of total protein content of serum, increased hemoglobin and erythrocyte content of whole blood, and shrinkage of the primary tumor. Two cases of prostatic cancer did not improve to any significant degree after adrenalectomy. The period of observation of these cases has been 4–9 months.

Of six cases of advanced mammary cancer with metastases, two cases were improved, one patient was moderately benefited, and there was no demonstrable evidence of regression in three cases.

In four advanced neoplasms, other than prostatic or mammary, adrenalectomy caused no detectable regression of the tumor.

^* This study was aided by grants from the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research, the American Cancer Society on recommendation of the Committee on Growth of the National Research Council, and the Damon Runyon Memorial Fund for Cancer Research. The authors are grateful to Dr. Thomas L. Y. Dao, Donald F. Tapley, Mrs. Anne S. Cleveland, and Prof. Eleanor M. Humphreys for assistance. Cortisone acetate was generously provided by the Medical Division of Merck & Co., Rahway, N.J.

Received 11/ 6/51.

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