A Study of Urinary Estrogen Excretion in Relation to Breast Cancer

The urinary excretion of estriol, estrone, estradiol and pregnanediol was measured in groups of women with breast cancer with differing internal hormonal status. In the majority of premenopausal patients the hormonal excretion was not greatly different from that expected for normal women. Small variations which occurred were construed as early evidence of the menopause. After prophylactic ovariectomy of premenopausal women, estrogen excretion fell rapidly in all cases. There was a tendency for the excretion to rise with time after ovariectomy, this increase being more marked for estrone and estradiol. The average excretion of estrogen metabolites by groups of ovariectomized and naturally postmenopausal women was the same. There was some but not complete correlation between the sum of estrone and estradiol excretion and the clinical response of patients to adrenalectomy.