ABSTRACT
This chapter examines chemical carcinogenesis of cervix uteri and uterus in connection with hormonal factors, other drugs, and environmental chemicals. The data on the etiological factors for cancer of cervix uteri suggest a synergism between various factors—idiosyncratic, infectious, chemical, and physical. Several hormones, of either natural or synthetic origin, have been used in medicine for various indications. Estrogens have a large spectrum of uses, such as for alleviation of climacteric symptoms, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, postpartum breast engorgement, female hypogonadism, mammary carcinoma, prostatic carcinoma, and vulvar dystrophies. Mestranol is a synthetic estrogenic steroid, which has been used as a contraceptive in combination with progestins. Of the nonsteroidal estrogens, there are data on carcinogenicity for diethylstilbestrol and its esters. Diethylstilbestrol has been proven to be carcinogenic in human cervix and vagina. One of the first clinical applications of tamoxifen concerned the palliative therapy for advanced breast cancer, particularly after it was shown to be equally efficacious as and less toxic than diethylstilbestrol.
