Adrenal structure and function in advanced carcinoma of the breast. II. The relation of steroid excretion to adrenal morphology and the outcome of adrenalectomy, with description of a new discriminant function

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Abstract
Morphology and function of the adrenal glands in 56 patients with metastatic breast carcinoma were studied with particular attention to the relationship of these factors to objective remission after adrenalectomy. Adrenal weight correlated well with the urinary excretion of adrenal hormone metabolites, whereas nuclear cell counts and cortical thickness did not. Women responding to adrenalectomy differed significantly (P< 0.005) from those who failed to show remission, when comparison was made of the combined incremental excretion of 17-ketosteroids (17-K) and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OH). A Fisher linear discriminatory function, utilizing the incremental ratios of 17-K and 17-OH as well as the free interval, selected 80% of the positive responders successfully. The 17-K excretion exerted a stronger influence on the discriminant choice than did the 17-OH metabolites.