Investigation of 17-ketosteriod excretion in mastopathia and premenopausal breast cancer.

Measurement of the excretion of total 17-ketosteroids, androsterone, etiocholanolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone demonstrate in contrast to the well known age dependency of normal women in cases of both mastopathia and breast cancer the following results: 1. the age dependence of the 17-ketosteriod excretion is not marked; 2. the total 17-ketosteroid excretion is lower than that of normal controls, 3. the values of the etiocholanolone excretions and that of the dehydroepiandrosterone excretions are similarly lower.