Correlation of the sectetion of insulin and C-peptide in cancer patients

Insulin and C-peptide levels were studied with a radioimmunoassay in the peripheral blood serum of 44 patients with gastric and cervical cancer and 22 healthy persons. Hyperfunction of the pancreatic insular apparatus was shown in cancer patients which was expressed in a statistically significant increase in the C-peptide level. In gastric cancer patients hyperfunction of the insular apparatus was accompanied by hypoinsulinemia, and in cervical cancer patients by hormoinsulinemia. An analysis has shown that the ratio insulin/C-peptide in gastric and cervical cancer patients was about the same and significantly lower than the control. A conclusion has been made that in spite of difference in the initial insulin concentration, the same phenomenon - acceleration of the metabolic clearance of insulin - occurs in patients with cancer of the above sites. The C-peptide level decreased, the ratio insulin/C-peptide increased, i.e. hyperfunction of the insular apparatus disappeared and the metabolic clearance of insulin slowed down