Increased urinary androgen levels in patients with carcinoma in situ of the breast with onset while taking oral contraceptives.

Urinary testosterone, androstanediol, ethiocolanolone, and androsterone glucuronide were determined by use of gas chromatography in four patients with carcinoma in situ of the breast. In all the patients, one or more of these hormones were higher than normal. This finding supports previous reports from our laboratory of increased androgen excretion in patients with fibrocystic disease or infiltrating carcinoma of the breast. Carcinoma in situ arose while the four patients were taking oral contraceptives. The progestational component of the pill, a nonderivative of testosterone, may carry with it some androgenic properties. This fact and the discovery of increased androgen excretion levels in these four patients led us to suppose that androgens could play a role in the development of breast cancer.