Urinary 11-deoxy-17-ketosteroids in Breast Cancer Patients considered in Relation to the Menstrual Cycle: Ovulatory and non ovulatory

Abstract

The urinary levels of 11-deoxy-17-ketosteroids (dehydroepiandrosterone, etiocholanolone and androsterone) of 32 patients with breast cancer, at premenopausal age (between 30 and 47 years of age) were determined in the premenstrual period (72–48 hours before menstrual bleeding) and an endometrial specimen, obtained 48–24 hours before the menstrual period was examined histologically. The urinary levels of 11-deoxy-17-ketosteroids together with the premenstrual specimen of 22 women at premenopausal age without breast cancer, who were in the same age range (between 31 and 49 years) as the women with breast cancer, were examined and considered as control values. The average value (3.77 ± 0.44 mg/24 hrs.) of the sum of urinary 11-deoxy-17-ketosteroids in control subjects without ovulatory cycle (proliferative premenstrual endometrium) was found to be higher than the average value (2.23 ±0.14 mg/24 hrs.) of the sum of 11-deoxy-17-ketosteroids of control subjects with ovulatory cycle (progestational premenstrual endometrium) and this difference was found to be highly significant (P < 0.01). The average value (4.76 ± 0.29 mg/24 hrs.) of the sum of urinary 11-deoxy-17-ketosteroids in breast cancer patients without ovulatory cycle (proliferative premenstrual endometrium) was found to be higher than the average value of the sum of urinary 11-deoxy-17-ketosteroids (3.05 ± 0.27 mg/24 hrs.) in patients with breast cancer having ovulatory cycle (progestational premenstrual endometrium) and this difference was found highly significant (P < 0.001). The levels of 11-deoxy-17-ketosteroids in the group of breast cancer patients without ovulation were the highest of all groups considered in the present study and the difference between this average value and that found in the control subjects without ovulatory cycle was also significant (P < 0.05).