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A comparison of the in vivo uptake and metabolism of 3 H‐oestrone and 3 H‐oestradiol by normal breast and breast tumour tissues in post‐menopausal women
Author(s) -
McNeill J. M.,
Reed M. J.,
Beranek P. A.,
Bonney R. C.,
Ghilchik M. W.,
Robinson D. J.,
James V. H. T.
Publication year - 1986
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.2910380208
Subject(s) - endocrinology , medicine , breast cancer , estrogen , estrone , metabolism , in vivo , mammary gland , chemistry , cancer , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
After infusion of 3 H‐oestradiol or 3 H‐oestrone into post‐menopausal women with breast cancer, there was a significant uptake of both steroids by breast tumour and normal tissue. The proportion of oestrogen present in tumour tissue as 3 H‐oestradiol after infusion of 3 H‐oestradiol (89.4 ± 3.5%, mean ± SD, n = 4) was significantly higher ( p < 0.001) than in normal breast tissue (72.8 ± 3.3%) obtained from the same women. Similarly, after infusion of 3 H‐oestrone, the proportion of oestrogen present as 3 H‐oestradiol (48.4 ± 14.4%) was significantly higher than in normal breast tissue (19.1 ± 6.4%). These results suggest that conversion of oestrone to oestradiol is enhanced in breast tumour tissue with little metabolism of oestradiol. This would account for the higher concentrations of oestradiol reported in breast tumour tissue in the presence of increased oestradiol 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity.