Estrogenic effect in vaginal smears in cancer of the uterine cervix

Values of karyopyknotic index (KPI) in a series of 37 uterine cervix cancer patients were significantly increased when compared with the same groups of 61 healthy women. Radiosensitivity of the tumors was accompanied by subsequent decreasing in the KPI values while in all radioresistent cases as well as in all early recurrences persistence of initial high KPI values could be proved. Significant differences in the kinetics of KPI changes during and after radiation in the group of praemenopausal and postmenopausal patients support suggestion for non ovarian origin of this estrogen like activity.