Secretion of the neuroendocrine marker neuron-specific enolase by 24 pituitary tumours was measured in maintenance tissue culture. Eleven endocrine-active and 13 "functionless" tumours were defined by measurement of prolactin, growth hormone, luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion rates in vitro and the corresponding plasma hormone levels. Measurement of prola...

Much has been achieved over the last 30 years to improve the treatment of hormone-dependent cancer of the breast, ovary and prostate. The development of the antioestrogen tamoxifen (Nolvadex) spear-headed a range of drugs that counter the growth-promoting action of the female and male sex steroid hormones. An important additional benefit of endocrine therapies has been their low toxicity compar...

30 SAJR March 2013 Vol. 17 No. 1 Primary bone tumours account for 5% of all adolescent and child cancers. The Ewing’s sarcoma family of tumours is an aggressive form of childhood cancer and comprises the second most common primary bone tumour that includes Ewing’s sarcoma, Askin’s tumour and peripheral primitive neuro-ectodermal tumour (PNET). When Ewing’s sarcoma arises in soft tissue (25%) ra...