Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Circulating steroid hormone concentrations in postmenopausal women in relation to body size and composition

  • Epidemiology
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Steroid hormones are associated with the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and evidence suggests that increased concentrations of oestrogens from peripheral aromatisation in adipose tissue partly explains the association between body mass index (BMI) and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. This study examined the associations between circulating concentrations of steroid hormones and anthropometric measurements in a sample of naturally postmenopausal women from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, not using hormone replacement therapy. We measured plasma concentration of total oestradiol, oestrone sulphate, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, androstenedione, testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and calculated concentration of free oestradiol. Body measurements included height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass and fat-free mass, the last two estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis. BMI was positively associated with both oestrogens and androgens and negatively with SHBG. Fat mass was the principal measure responsible for the association observed between body size and total oestradiol. The associations between oestrone sulphate and androgens and body size were mainly with waist circumference. The associations between oestrogens and body size were close to null for the first 6 years since menopause and became positive thereafter. Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that after the menopause excess fat mass increases oestrogen concentrations through the peripheral aromatisation of androgens in adipose tissue. This effect requires around 6 years to be detectable by way of circulating steroid hormone levels.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Yager JD, Davidson NE (2006) Estrogen carcinogenesis in breast cancer. N Engl J Med 354:270–282

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Key T, Appleby P, Barnes I et al (2002) Endogenous sex hormones and breast cancer in postmenopausal women: reanalysis of nine prospective studies. J Natl Cancer Inst 94:606–616

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gruber CJ, Tschugguel W, Schneeberger C et al (2002) Production and actions of estrogens. N Engl J Med 346:340–352

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Simpson ER (2003) Sources of estrogen and their importance. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 86:225–230

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. IARC (2002) Weight control and physical activity. In: Vainio H, Bianchini F (eds) IARC handbooks of cancer prevention, vol 6, IARC, Lyon

  6. Haffner SM, Katz MS, Dunn JF (1991) Increased upper body and overall adiposity is associated with decreased sex hormone binding globulin in postmenopausal women. Int J Obes 15:471–478

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Cauley JA, Gutai JP, Kuller LH et al (1989) The epidemiology of serum sex hormones in postmenopausal women. Am J Epidemiol 129:1120–1131

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. McTiernan A, Rajan KB, Tworoger SS et al (2003) Adiposity and sex hormones in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol 21:1961–1966

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lukanova A, Lundin E, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A et al (2004) Body mass index, circulating levels of sex-steroid hormones, IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3: a cross-sectional study in healthy women. Eur J Endocrinol 150:161–171

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kaye SA, Folsom AR, Soler JT et al (1991) Associations of body mass and fat distribution with sex hormone concentrations in postmenopausal women. Int J Epidemiol 20:151–156

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Holte J, Bergh T, Gennarelli G et al (1994) The independent effects of polycystic ovary syndrome and obesity on serum concentrations of gonadotrophins and sex steroids in premenopausal women. Clin Endocrinol 41:473–481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kaaks R, Lukanova A, Kurzer MS (2002) Obesity, endogenous hormones, and endometrial cancer risk: a synthetic review. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 11:1531–1543

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Key TJ, Appleby PN, Reeves GK et al (2003) Body mass index, serum sex hormones, and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst 95:1218–1226

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Bezemer ID, Rinaldi S, Dossus L et al (2005) C-peptide, IGF-I, sex-steroid hormones and adiposity: a cross-sectional study in healthy women within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Cancer Causes Control 16:561–572

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. van den Brandt PA, Spiegelman D, Yaun SS et al (2000) Pooled analysis of prospective cohort studies on height, weight, and breast cancer risk. Am J Epidemiol 152:514–527

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Rinaldi S, Key TJ, Peeters PH et al (2006) Anthropometric measures, endogenous sex steroids and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: a study within the EPIC cohort. Int J Cancer 118:2832–2839

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wang Q, Hassager C, Ravn P et al (1994) Total and regional body-composition changes in early postmenopausal women: age-related or menopause-related? Am J Clin Nutr 60:843–848

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wing RR, Matthews KA, Kuller LH et al (1991) Weight gain at the time of menopause. Arch Intern Med 151:97–102

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Macdonald HM, New SA, Campbell MK et al (2003) Longitudinal changes in weight in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women: effects of dietary energy intake, energy expenditure, dietary calcium intake and hormone replacement therapy. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 27:669–676

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Zamboni M, Turcato E, Santana H et al (1999) The relationship between body composition and physical performance in older women. J Am Geriatr Soc 47:1403–1408

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Sternfeld B, Wang H, Quesenberry CP Jr et al (2004) Physical activity and changes in weight and waist circumference in midlife women: findings from the study of women’s health across the nation. Am J Epidemiol 160:912–922

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Giles GG, English DR (2002) The Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. IARC Sci Publ 156:69–70

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Ireland P, Jolley D, Giles G et al (1994) Development of the Melbourne FFQ: a food frequency questionnaire for use in an Australian prospective study involving an ethnically diverse cohort. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 3:19–31

    Google Scholar 

  24. Lewis J, Milligan G, Hunt A (1995) NUTTAB95 nutrient data table for use in Australia. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  25. Lohman T, Roche AF, Martorell R (1988) Anthropometric standardisation reference manual. Kinetics Books, Champaign

    Google Scholar 

  26. MacInnis RJ, English DR, Gertig DM et al (2004) Body size and composition and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13:2117–2125

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sodergard R, Backstrom T, Shanbhag V et al (1982) Calculation of free and bound fractions of testosterone and estradiol-17 beta to human plasma proteins at body temperature. J Steroid Biochem 16:801–810

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Endogenous Hormones and Breast Cancer Collaborative Group (2003) Free estradiol and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: comparison of measured and calculated values. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 12:1457–1461

    Google Scholar 

  29. Roubenoff R, Baumgartner RN, Harris TB et al (1997) Application of bioelectrical impedance analysis to elderly populations. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 52:M129–M136

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. MacInnis RJ, English DR, Hopper JL et al (2004) Body size and composition and colon cancer risk in men. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13:553–559

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Pasquali R (2006) Obesity and androgens: facts and perspectives. Fertil Steril 85:1319–1340

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Calle EE, Kaaks R (2004) Overweight, obesity and cancer: epidemiological evidence and proposed mechanisms. Nat Rev Cancer 4:579–591

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Longcope C, Baker S (1993) Androgen and estrogen dynamics: relationships with age, weight, and menopausal status. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 76:601–604

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Cleland WH, Mendelson CR, Simpson ER (1985) Effects of aging and obesity on aromatase activity of human adipose cells. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 60:174–177

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Simpson ER, Clyne C, Rubin G et al (2002) Aromatase—a brief overview. Annu Rev Physiol 64:93–127

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Bergstrom A, Pisani P, Tenet V et al (2001) Overweight as an avoidable cause of cancer in Europe. Int J Cancer 91:421–430

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Simkin-Silverman LR, Wing RR (2000) Weight gain during menopause. Is it inevitable or can it be prevented? Postgrad Med 108:47–50, 53–56

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Evans DJ, Hoffmann RG, Kalkhoff RK et al (1983) Relationship of androgenic activity to body fat topography, fat cell morphology, and metabolic aberrations in premenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 57:304–310

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Harvie M, Howell A, Vierkant RA et al (2005) Association of gain and loss of weight before and after menopause with risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the Iowa women’s health study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 14:656–661

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Lovejoy JC (1998) The influence of sex hormones on obesity across the female life span. J Womens Health 7:1247–1256

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was made possible by the contribution of many people, including the original investigators and the diligent team who recruited the participants and who continue working on follow-up. We would like to express our gratitude to the many thousands of Melbourne residents who continue to participate in the study. We also acknowledge the contribution of Ms. Sonia Dunn for assistance with the hormone measurements. Cohort recruitment was funded by VicHealth and The Cancer Council Victoria. This study was funded by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council (251533, 209057), and the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and was further supported by infrastructure provided by The Cancer Council Victoria. Dr. R. MacInnis is the recipient of a NHMRC Sidney Sax Fellowship (400470).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Baglietto.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baglietto, L., English, D.R., Hopper, J.L. et al. Circulating steroid hormone concentrations in postmenopausal women in relation to body size and composition. Breast Cancer Res Treat 115, 171–179 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-008-0069-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-008-0069-3

Keywords

Navigation