Plasma hormone profiles of young women at risk for familial breast cancer.

The plasma hormone concentrations of 30 young women, who were judged by genetic analysis to be at high risk for familial breast cancer, were compared with those of 30 matched controls identified as at low risk for the disease. The hormone measurements were obtained every second day throughout the menstrual cycle, and the results were analyzed in terms of follicular, luteal, and full-cycle mean concentrations. Comparison was carried out in a paired fashion with each high-risk and low-risk pair matched closely for height, weight, age, and reproductive history. No statistically significant differences were found in prolactin, gonadotropin, estrone, estradiol, or estriol plasma concentrations although the high-risk group displayed consistently lower values in all of the above except estriol.