Effect of glucocorticoids on the level of endogenous cortisol in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the level of endogenous cortisol in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer, and to evaluate the effect of exogenous glucocorticoids treatment on patient's malignant symptoms and serum cortisol level. Methods:Thirty-one patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer who were given 40 mg/d methylprednisolone for continuous 5 days. The patients included 8 patients with esophageal and cardial cancer, 12 patients with gastric cancer, and 11 patients with colorectal cancer. At the same time, 30 healthy adults were selected as control group. The cortisol radioactive immunoassay kit was used to determine the level of serum cortisol in the gastrointestinal cancer patients and controls. The life quality changes of gastrointestinal cancer patients were evaluated. Results:The serum cortisol level of 31 advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients was higher than that of healthy volunteers [(312.39±57.64)vs(144.64±52.20) μg/L,P0.05). Conclusion:Endogenous serum cortisol levels of gastrointestinal cancer patients were significantly higher than those of healthy adults. Short-term treatment with medium dosage of exogenous glucocorticoids had little effect on the endogenous serum cortisol level.