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Plasma and urinary levels of estrogens and progesterone were studied on days 11 and 22 of the menstrual cycle in 27 teenage daughters of breast cancer patients and 25 teenage daughters of controls. Plasma and urinary values correlated well, which implied that most previous findings based on urinary levels of these hormones were applicable to their plasma levels. The "estriol ratio" (urinary estriol:urinary estrone plus estradiol) hypothesis was not supported by this study, the ratio having been no lower in the daughters of breast cancer patients than in daughters of controls. The day-11 results showed elevated plasma prolactin-estrogen values in daughters of breast cancer patients; the day-22 results did not.

Demographic risk factors in sisters and daughters of 150 patients with breast cancer were compared to those of controls. Plasma hormone levels in 36 teen-age daughters of patients and 31 controls were also studied to ascertain whether an "abnormal" hormone pattern underlies these risk factors. The patients' sisters had, on the average, menarche four months earlier and first full-term pregnancy 12 months later than the controls. The patients' daughters did not show these differences -- apparently owing to low fertility in the patients with early menarche. The patients' daughters had higher 22d-day estradiol-plus-estrone levels than controls (24.4 vs. 19.1 ng per 100 ml, P less than 0.05). Sixth-day prolactin was also elevated (19.0 vs. 14.2 ng per 100 ml, P less than 0.05). About half the patients' daughters could clearly be distinguished from the controls' daughters by means of the sixth-day information on both estrogens and prolactin. Hypersecretion of these hormones may be important factors in breast cancer.

Age, age at menopause, and calendar year at menopause were controlled as factors related to estrogen use. Data on 90 breast cancer patients and 83 conrols--all of whom had a natural menopause--showed no relationship between breast cancer and estrogen usage after the start of menopause symptoms.