Conversion of hydrocortisone to estrogen in carcinoma of the breast after oophorectomy and adrenalectomy

The data presented provide evidence that hydrocortisone can be converted to an 11 oxygenated estrogen since 11β hydroxyestradiol was identified in the urine of a female patient with mammary cancer who had undergone bilateral oophorectomy and adrenalectomy. It was noted that the identified 11β hydroxyestradiol was radioactive and therefore a metabolite of the labelled substrate 4 ¹⁴C hydrocortisone that was administered. Retention of the 11 hydroxy function of the original substrate tends to support this conclusion. The identified conversion product represented approximately 5% of the radioactivity in the extracts, or approximately 0.7% of the total administered radioactivity. This finding demonstrates for the first time the direct conversion of hydrocortisone to an estrogen in such patients.