Pituitary-Neurohormonal Immunoregulation in Cancer

This chapter presents some of the evidence relevant to hypophyseal modulation of neoplastic processes via immune function from the perspective of the empirical requirements for unequivocal demonstration of such effects. It summarizes briefly the status of research on psychological responsiveness of cancer, since that question has been considered closely related to pituitary-immune-cancer relationships. In evaluating the proposition that pituitary function influences cancer through immunomodulation, it is necessary to consider the range of things that might produce covariation between pituitary hormone levels and neoplastic outcomes. Consistent with findings on other aspects of immune function, there is evidence for corticosteroid inhibition of natural immunity. A common effect is for hormones which influence a nonneoplastic tissue to affect the development of tumors derived from that tissue in a similar way. The data are, as a whole, consistent with the possibility that pituitary function can alter neoplastic processes by means of alterations in tumor immunity.