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Carcinogenesis Advance Access published online on June 5, 2009
Carcinogenesis, doi:10.1093/carcin/bgp139
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Urinary estrogen metabolites in women at high risk for breast cancer

Annie Im*, Victor G. Vogel*, Gretchen Ahrendt*, Stacy Lloyd", Camille Ragin{wedge}, Seymour Garte" and Emanuela Taioli{wedge},#

* Magee/UPCI Breast Cancer Prevention Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
{wedge} SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, Brooklyn, NY
" Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

# Address for correspondence: Emanuela Taioli, MD, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Box 43, Brooklyn, New York 11203, Tel: (718)-804-7100, Fax: (718)-270-2533, e-mail: emanuela.taioli{at}downstate.edu

Objective: This study explored whether average urinary estrogen metabolites in breast cancer high risk women can be used to identify a subgroup of women at particularly high risk to develop breast cancer, to which prevention strategies should be addressed.

Methods: The population consisted of 77 high risk women, 30 breast cancer patients, and 41 controls. All subjects answered a standardized questionnaire; height and weight, and spot urine samples were also obtained. Urine hydroxyestrogen metabolites were measured in triplicate by enzyme immunoassay, and the estrogen metabolite ratios for each individual were calculated.

Results: 2:16 OHE ratio (2-hydroxyestrone/16-alpha-hydroxyestrone) in women at high risk for breast cancer was similar to that observed in the breast cancer group (1.76 ± 2.33 vs 1.29 ± 0.80), and lower than in controls (2.47 ± 1.14; p = 0.00). At the multivariate linear regression model the 2:16 OHE ratio was significantly associated with diagnosis (p = 0.000 for both the high risk and breast cancer group versus the controls) and BMI (p = 0.005), but not with age (p = 0.604), or smoking history (p = 0.478).

Conclusions: This study suggests that lower urinary 2:16 OHE ratios are predictors of breast cancer risk. Profiling estrogen metabolites may identify women who are more likely to develop breast cancer within a population of women with known risk factors, and may help to further elucidate the clinical relevance of urinary 2:16 OHE ratios as clinical markers and prognostic indicators in this population.

Key Words: cancer prevention • biomarkers • early detection

Received February 20, 2009; revised March 18, 2009; accepted June 1, 2009.


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