Breast cancer in Britain and Japan: plasma oestradiol-17beta, oestrone and progesterone,and their urinary metabolites in normal British and Japanese women
Bulbrook, R.D.; Swain, M.C.; Wang, D.Y.; Hayward, J.L.; Kumaoka, S.; Takatani, O.; Abe, O.; Utsunomiya, J.
European Journal of Cancer 12(9): 725-735
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-2964 PMID: 971695 Document Number: 430082
The plasma concentrations of estrone, estradiol-17.beta. and progesterone, and the urinary excretion of esterone, estradiol-17.beta., estriol and pregnanediol were determined in normal Japanese and British adolescent, premenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women. The amounts of plasma estrogen in British and Japanese women were not significantly different except in the adolescent group. In this latter category the mean level of plasma estrone and estradiol-17.beta. in the luteal phase was significantly higher in Japanese compared with British women. The mean excretion of urinary estrogens in the 2 races was similar for all age groups studied, as was plasma progesterone and urinary pregnanediol. The mean ratio of estriol to estrone and estradiol-17.beta. for Japanese was higher than that for British women in the 2 premenopausal groups, although the difference was not statistically significant. The difference in the incidence rates of breast cancer in Britain and Japan does not appear to be related to differences in plasma levels of estrogens or progesterone.