Sex steroid hormone receptor analysis in malignant melanoma

Melanomas, as well as benign pigmented nevi, long-term cell cultures of melanoma cells and sixty-six normal skin biopsies, were evaluated for oestrogen and androgen receptor activity by a dextran-coated charcoal method. Oestrogen-binding was observed in 16% and androgen-binding in 40% of all investigated tumours. Normal skin showed 4% oestrogen and 41% androgen receptor activity; melanoma cell cultures expressed the same sex steroid hormone binding as tumour material. The quantitative receptor expression was found to be significantly higher in female than in male melanoma patients. Even though the study shows that to a certain extent malignant melanoma is a hormone dependent tumour, it seems that sex steroid hormones are not exclusively related to the biological behaviour of this tumour. In future, investigations should be expanded to other hormonal influences.