Evaluation of luteal-phase salivary progesterone levels in women with benign breast disease or primary breast cancer.

Salivary progesterone concentrations were determined in premenopausal parous women with a mean age of ca. 40 yr who had a history of either benign breast disease (n = 15) or primary breast cancer (n = 15) and in a group of age-matched healthy women (n = 15). Saliva samples were collected at 09.00 and 21.00 hr daily for one complete menstrual cycle and progesterone concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. Characteristic luteal-phase progesterone profiles were observed in all subjects in each of the three groups but no statistical intergroup differences could be demonstrated for age-matched subjects in each group. These studies indicated that ovarian dysfunction, as judged from salivary progesterone concentrations, was not apparent in older premenopausal women with a history of benign breast disease or primary breast cancer when compared with age-matched controls.