La Terapia Ormonale Del Carcinoma Avanzato Della Mammella. Valutazione Dell'Efficacia E Della Dose Terapeutica Mediante L'Indagine Citologica Vaginale

Abstract

In 23 women (12 in menopause) with advanced mammary cancer, the vaginal cytological examination was performed during treatment with oestrogens and androgens.

Therapy attained a regression of the neoplastic process when hormones were administered in such doses to maintain the presence of picnotic eosinophilic cells (with oestrogen therapy) or of intermediate cells with active nucleus (with androgen therapy). When higher doses were administered, the disappearance of normal epithelial elements (picnotic eosinophilic cells and active intermediate cells) was remarked in the vaginal smear, associated with a pronounced vaginal hypotrophy (occurrence of eosinophilic basal cells and of vacuolized anucleated cells). In these cases the neoplastic process resumed its evolution.