THE UPTAKE AND METABOLISM OF [4-14C]TESTOSTERONE IN HUMAN BREAST CANCER GROWN IN ORGAN CULTURE

Abstract

ABSTRACT The uptake and metabolism of [4-14C]testosterone was studied in 10 tissue samples of human female breast grown in organ culture. Four samples were from carcinomas, 4 were non-cancerous tissue from the uninvolved part of the cancer bearing breast, and two were from fibroadenomas. In all cases testosterone was metabolized to androstenedione, androsterone, dihydrotestosterone, androstanedione and androstanediol. The non-cancerous tissues showed greater retention, uptake and conversion of testosterone into metabolites than the cancerous tissues. The retention of testosterone in the fibroadenomas samples was lower than that in samples of either cancerous or non-cancerous tissue. The uptake and conversion of testosterone into metabolites in one case of fibroadenoma was similar to that seen in cancerous tissue samples but in the other case it was considerably higher.