Urinary hydroxyproline (OH.P) excretion was studied in 30 cases of breast cancer and 18 normal female controls. In the control group a negative correlation was found between free hydroxyproline excretion and urine volume. The total urinary hydroxproline was elevated in breast cancer, both in cases with osseous deposits and in cases with soft tissue metastases only. However, the hydroxyproline/creatinine ratio was significantly elevated only in cases with skeletal deposits.Significant total hydroxyprolinuria and raised OH.P/Cr ratio predated the x-ray demonstration of osseous metastases by several months. Determination of the urinary excretion of this imino acid provides a useful index for the early detection of secondary deposits in breast cancer, and is therefore useful in staging this disease.
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