Hormone producing gynecological tumors: pathologic entities and clinical significance.

INTRODUCTION: Due to their derivation from the cell types involved in gynecologic hormonal networks, many gynecologic tumors may produce hormones. In a normal physiological setting, these hormones are essential for regulating the biology and function of gynecological organs, the ovary and uterus in particular. Overproduction of hormones by the tumor may lead to abnormal clinical manifestations of the patients and spillage of excess hormonal products into the blood. Abnormal elevation of serum hormones may be considered as biomarkers that are important to pathologists and clinicians in making precise tumor diagnoses and likely useful in monitoring the tumor burden/recurrence to guide patient treatment options. This review will discuss gynecologic neoplasms that produce hormonal biomarkers and assess their relevance to pathological diagnosis, evaluation for therapeutic response and monitoring disease progression. Areas covered: Studies involving hormonal production by a gynecologic tumor were candidates for inclusion in this review. Expert commentary: Serum hormonal biomarkers have clinical utility both in the diagnosis of gynecologic neoplasms and clinical monitoring of treatment efficacy and recurrence.