Background: The aim of this research was to observe changes in IGF-I and steroid hormones in postmenopausal women with benign and malignant ovarian tumors.
Material/Methods: The concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), 17-β-estradiol and progesterone were examined by radioimmunological assay in three groups of postmenopausal women: patients with malignant ovarian tumors, patients with benign ovarian tumors, and healthy women. In all three groups the age and body mass index (BMI) were comparable.
Results: The concentrations of IGF-I in the serum of the patients with malignant cancer were significantly lower. The concentrations of estradiol were significantly higher in the patients with both benign and malignant ovarian tumors as compared to the controls.
Conclusions: Decreased IGF-I concentration in the serum of postmenopausal women with ovarian tumors may suggest that the tumor is malignant.

Keywords: IGF-I, ovarian cancer, ovarian tumours