Benign breast disease: estriol proportions and family history of breast cancer.

Urine samples were analyzed for estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and Estriol (E3) to test the hypothesis that women diagnosed with benign breast disease (high risk for breast cancer?) will have lower estriol proportions (E3/E1 + E2 + E3) than a comparison control group. Luteal urine samples were collected from 64 women recently diagnosed with benign breast disease (cases) and from 64 controls matched for age and education. Compared to their controls, benign breast disease patients had a lower mean weight (P less than 0.05), lower Quetelet's index (P less than 0.02), and higher frequency of family history of breast cancer (P less than 0.01) and of family history of any breast disease (P less than 0.01). The mean estriol proportions were similar for cases and controls before and after stratification by family history and Quetelet's index. Results of this study indicate that if women with benign breast disease are at high risk of breast cancer, that risk is not transmitted by the estriol proportion.