HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Metcalf, M. G. Articles by Mackenzie, J. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Metcalf, M. G. Articles by Mackenzie, J. A.

It is claimed that the exposure of women to oestrogens unopposed by progesterone increases the risk of breast cancer. Despite indirect evidence in support of this claim, the impracticability of monitoring oestrogen and progesterone levels in large numbers of women for prolonged periods of time has meant that no direct demonstration of the effect has been made. A possible technique is suggested.

The ratio (R) of oestrogens to pregnanediol in urine has been used as an index of oestrogen exposure relative to progesterone. Samples were collected at weekly intervals on 700 occasions from 30 perimenopausal women, and on 519 occasions from 66 women with a history of regular menstrual cyclicity. Unusually prolonged episodes of unopposed high oestrogen excretion (R 100 for 2 successive weeks) were observed on 30 occasions in 15 of the perimenopausal women and on four occasions in the other women. In the perimenopausal group, these episodes occurred in 46·9% of the 32 menstrual cycles which were longer than 50 days compared with 6·9% of the 72 cycles which were shorter than 35 days (P < 0·001). The association of prolonged episodes of unopposed high oestrogen excretion with long menstrual cycles suggests the possibility of using menstrual cycle length as an index of oestrogen exposure during the menopausal transition.

J. Endocr. (1985) 104, 137–141

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. A. O'Connor, R. J. Ferrell, E. Brindle, J. Shofer, D. J. Holman, R. C. Miller, D. E. Schechter, B. Singer, and M. Weinstein Total and Unopposed Estrogen Exposure across Stages of the Transition to Menopause Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., March 1, 2009; 18(3): 828 - 836. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Miro, S. W. Parker, L. J. Aspinall, J. Coley, P. W. Perry, and J. E. Ellis Origins and Consequences of the Elongation of the Human Menstrual Cycle during the Menopausal Transition: The FREEDOM Study J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2004; 89(10): 4910 - 4915. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. E. Hale, C. L. Hughes, and J. M. Cline Endometrial Cancer: Hormonal Factors, the Perimenopausal ""Window of Risk,"" and Isoflavones J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2002; 87(1): 3 - 15. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. C. Prior Perimenopause: The Complex Endocrinology of the Menopausal Transition Endocr. Rev., August 1, 1998; 19(4): 397 - 428. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]