Premium
Serum concentrations of total and non‐protein‐bound oestradiol in patients with breast cancer and in normal controls
Author(s) -
Moore J. W.,
Clark G. M. G.,
Bulbrook R. D.,
Hayward J. L.,
Murai J. T.,
Hammond G. L.,
Siiteri P. K.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.2910290105
Subject(s) - sex hormone binding globulin , breast cancer , endocrinology , medicine , globulin , albumin , hormone , cancer , chemistry , androgen
Abstract In premenopausal women with breast cancer, total serum oestradiol (E 2 ) concentrations are normal but nonprotein‐bound E 2 , concentrations are significantly raised. This is not due to low sex‐hormone‐binding‐globulin (SHBG) binding capacities which are within the normal range and is unlikely to be due to the small but significant decrease in albumin concentrations. In post‐menopausal patients, both total and non‐protein‐bound E 2 are significantly raised: this may be explained partially by lower SHBG binding capacities. In patients and controls there is a highly significant correlation between non‐protein‐bound E 2 and SHBG but, for a given SHBG binding capacity, the patients have more non‐bound E 2 than controls. It is concluded that the breast in women with breast cancer may be exposed to elevated levels of biologically active E 2 although the reasons for this remain obscure.