GC-MS used in thyroid cancer study

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been used to investigate the pathogenic differences in a form of cancer according to gender and menopausal condition.

In a study published by BMC Cancer, scientists sought to evaluate the metabolic changes in urinary steroids in men and pre- and post-menopausal women with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

GC-MS was used to measure the urinary concentrations of 84 steroids in all of the patients against corresponding controls.

The study found that many of the steroids were up-regulated in all PTC patients compared with the control group.

"Although … most androgens and oestrogens were increased in the pre-menopausal women with PTC in this study, hydroxylation and methoxylation with oestrogens explained more the metabolic changes between all groups studied," the report claimed.

The metabolic ratio of 2-hydroxyestrone to 2-hydroxy-17beta-estradiol in particular showed gender differences in PTC patients.

It is hoped the findings could help better understand the pathogenic differences in PTC according to gender and menopausal conditions.