[Relation between somatotropin and somatostatin secretion in cancer patients]

Radioimmunoassays were employed to determine somatotrophin (STH) and somatostatin (SS) levels in patients with different types of tumors. In all patients with solid tumors and in 19 out of 25 patients with lympoblastoses SS concentration was elevated and ranged from 15 to 70 pg/ml. STH level in all cancer patients, with few exceptions, before and during treatment was within normal varying from 0.5 to 6 ng/ml. No distinct correlation between STH and SS levels was found. Proceeding from an analysis of the results obtained it is to be assumed that a study of SS behavior in cancer patients may hold promise in terms of the diagnosis and assessment of the efficacy of cancer therapy.