Our aim was to investigate whether circulating steroid hormone levels including sexual hormones and their precursors along with sex hormone binding globulin [i.e. E1, E1S, E2, TE, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione (AD) and SHBG] measured prior surgical intervention show any association with tumor ER, PR and HER2 status in postmenopausal women with primary breast cancer. The gene discussed is SHBG; the disease is breast cancer.