As in other types of cancers, sex is an essential factor in the origin and progression of glioblastomas. Research in the field of endocrinology and cancer suggests that gonadal steroid hormones play an important role in the progression and prevalence of glioblastomas. In the present review, we aim to discuss the actions and mechanism triggered by gonadal steroid hormones in glioblastomas. Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor. According to the epidemiological data, glioblastomas are more frequent in men than in women in a 1.6/1 proportion both in children and adults. This evidence, and the knowledge about sex influence over the prevalence of countless diseases, suggest that male gonadal steroid hormones, such as testosterone, promote glioblastomas growth. In contrast, a protective role of female gonadal steroid hormones (estradiol and progesterone) against glioblastomas has been questioned. Several pieces of evidence demonstrate a variety of effects induced by female and male gonadal steroid hormones in glioblastomas. Several studies indicate that pregnancy, a physiological state with the highest progesterone and estradiol levels, accelerates the progression of low-grade astrocytomas to glioblastomas and increases the symptoms associated with these tumors. In vitro studies have demonstrated that progesterone has a dual role in glioblastoma cells: physiological concentrations promote cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while very high doses (out physiological range) reduce cell proliferation and increases cell death. Gonadal steroid hormones can stimulate the progression of glioblastomas through the increase in proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, the effects mentioned above depend on the concentrations of these hormones and the receptor involved in hormone actions. Estradiol and progesterone can exert promoter or protective effects while the role of testosterone has been always associated to glioblastomas progression.

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性别对胶质母细胞瘤患病率和进展的影响：性腺类固醇激素的作用

与其他类型的癌症一样，性别是胶质母细胞瘤起源和进展的重要因素。内分泌学和癌症领域的研究表明，性腺类固醇激素在胶质母细胞瘤的进展和患病率中发挥着重要作用。在本综述中，我们旨在讨论性腺类固醇激素在胶质母细胞瘤中引发的作用和机制。胶质母细胞瘤是最常见的恶性原发性脑肿瘤。根据流行病学数据，胶质母细胞瘤在男性中的发病率高于女性，儿童和成人中胶质母细胞瘤的比例为1.6/1。这一证据以及关于性别对无数疾病患病率影响的知识表明，男性性腺类固醇激素（例如睾酮）可促进胶质母细胞瘤的生长。相反，女性性腺类固醇激素（雌二醇和黄体酮）对胶质母细胞瘤的保护作用受到质疑。一些证据表明女性和男性性腺类固醇激素对胶质母细胞瘤产生多种影响。多项研究表明，怀孕是一种黄体酮和雌二醇水平最高的生理状态，会加速低级别星形细胞瘤向胶质母细胞瘤的进展，并增加与这些肿瘤相关的症状。体外研究表明，黄体酮在胶质母细胞瘤细胞中具有双重作用：生理浓度促进细胞增殖、迁移和侵袭，而极高剂量（超出生理范围）则减少细胞增殖并增加细胞死亡。性腺类固醇激素可以通过增加增殖、迁移和侵袭来刺激胶质母细胞瘤的进展。然而，上述效果取决于这些激素的浓度以及参与激素作用的受体。雌二醇和黄体酮可以发挥促进或保护作用，而睾酮的作用始终与胶质母细胞瘤的进展有关。