Sexual steroid hormone receptors in meningiomas.

Steroid hormone receptors have been found in various malignant tumors. In breast cancer, their analysis is a predictive tool for a response to hormonal medical therapy. The higher incidence in women and the significant association between meningiomas and breast cancer have suggested a sex-linked concept in the cause of meningiomas. Therefore our group [1] and other investigators [2,4] have performed steroid hormone binding assays in meningioma tissue. Herein we report on our assays for estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) and - in addition - androgen receptors (AR). The major aim of this study was to find out which patients could benefit from an antihormonal medical treatment.