Abstract
The excretion of three tryptophan metabolites has been determined in the urine of normal women, patients with early or advanced breast cancer, and in carcinoma of the cervix. The excretions of metabolites were increased frequently in patients awaiting mastectomy (early breast cancer) and in those with soft tissue metastases, but normal in patients with skeletal metastases. Only 2 of 16 cases of carcinoma of the cervix had abnormal tryptophan metabolism, and one of these had been treated previously for bladder cancer. Increased excretion of tryptophan metabolites in breast cancer may be due to diminished androgen production. It is not considered to result solely from the ‘stress’ of illness.
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