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Glioma, Melatonin, and Radiotherapy

Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale U318 UJFG, CHU Michallon, Grenoble, France

Nelly Wion-Barbot

Service Endocrinologie Diabétologie Nutrition, CHU Grenoble, Université J. Fourier, Grenoble, France

To the Editor:

Accumulative evidence indicates antitumor effects of melatonin in a variety of malignancies (1, 2). Accordingly, Martin et al. have recently reported cell growth inhibition of glioma by melatonin (3). This study is of peculiar interest because melatonin is produced in the brain by the pineal gland. This location of the pineal gland, near the center of the brain, suggests that in addition to hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunctions (4), a melatonin deficiency could also occur in some patients following brain radiotherapy (5). Although the consequences of melatonin deficiency on glioma growth remain to be investigated, the report of Martin et al. have important implications for the development of a possible circadian-based cancer therapy of glioma. Moreover, it highlights the importance of determining the pineal status of patients following brain radiotherapy, by measuring, for example, the melatonin metabolite 6-sulphatoxymelatonin in the first morning urine (6). In addition to its relevance in the follow-up of patients, this dosage could help to further elucidate the link between melatonin and glioma growth.

References

1. Vijayalaxmi, Thomas CR, Jr., Reiter RJ, Herman TS. Melatonin: from basic research to cancer treatment clinics. J Clin Oncol 2002;20:2575–601.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2. Blask DE, Brainard GC, Dauchy RT, et al. Melatonin-depleted blood from premenopausal women exposed to light at night stimulates growth of human breast cancer xenografts in nude rats. Cancer Res 2005;65:11174–84.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
3. Martín V, Herrera F, Carrera-Gonzalez P, et al. Intracellular signaling pathways involved in the cell growth inhibition of glioma cells by melatonin. Cancer Res 2006;66:1081–8.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
4. Constine LS, Woolf PD, Cann D, et al. Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction after radiation for brain tumors. N Engl J Med 1993;328:87–94.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
5. Wion-Barbot N, Berger F, Wion D. Should we control the pineal status of patients following brain radiotherapy? J Neurooncol 2005;74:335.[Medline]
6. Schernhammer ES, Hankinson SE. Urinary melatonin levels and breast cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst 2005;97:1084–7.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

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