Abstract
Two postmenopausal women are described who had uterine bleeding due to hormone production by lung tumors--a large cell carcinoma in one case and a choriocarcinoma in the other. Both tumors stained positively for one or more placental peptides (human chorionic gonadotropin [hCG], placental lactogen, or pregnancy-specific beta-1 glycoprotein) and both patients had extremely elevated serum levels of hCG, suggesting the tumors had some placental-like endocrine function. Clinical and hormonal data supported the concept that the uterine bleeding resulted from estrogen excess due to steroid bio-transformation by the tumors.
Publication types
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Case Reports
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Biopsy
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Bronchoscopy
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / complications*
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / diagnosis
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
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Choriocarcinoma / complications*
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Choriocarcinoma / diagnosis
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Choriocarcinoma / pathology
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Chorionic Gonadotropin / blood
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Dilatation and Curettage
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Estradiol / blood
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Estrogens / biosynthesis
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Estrogens / blood*
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Female
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Follicle Stimulating Hormone / blood
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Humans
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Lung Neoplasms / complications*
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Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis
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Lung Neoplasms / pathology
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Luteinizing Hormone / blood
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Menopause*
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Middle Aged
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Progesterone / biosynthesis
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Progesterone / blood
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Uterine Hemorrhage / etiology*
Substances
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Chorionic Gonadotropin
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Estrogens
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Progesterone
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Estradiol
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Luteinizing Hormone
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Follicle Stimulating Hormone