Corticosteroid sulfate excretion and estrogen receptors in breast cancer.

The urinary excretion of corticosteroid sulfates and free cortisol were determined in 150 breast cancer patients. Four of 60 cases of early breast cancer (7%) and 26 of 90 patients with advanced breast cancer (29%) showed an elevated urinary corticosteroid sulfate excretion. Urinary free cortisol was usually normal. Estrogen receptor assays were performed on tumor samples from 67 breast cancer patients; 24 were from primary lesions obtained at mastectomy, 3 from inoperable primaries in patients with systemic metastases, and 40 from metastases. Sixteen of the primary breast cancers (67%), 26 of the metastases (65%) and 1 of the 3 inoperable primaries contained estrogen receptors. With 2 exceptions, patients with an increased urinary corticosteroid sulfate excretion also had estrogen receptor-containing tumors.