In order to examine whether the reported association between mutations in the androgen receptor gene and male breast cancer also exists in female breast cancer we analyzed exons 2 to 8 of the androgen receptor gene in 20 female breast cancer samples using PCR amplification and single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP)-analysis. In none of these cases a mutation could be detected, indicating that mutations of the androgen receptor gene are not a common cause of female breast cancer.