Improved detectability of sex steroids from frozen sections of breast cancer tissue using GC-triple quadrupole-MS.

•Sex steroids were measured from trace amounts of tissue samples.•Extractable alkyloxycarbonylation improved chromatographic properties.•Pentafluroropropionylation produces characteristic ions in mass spectrometry.•GC–MS/MS resulted in a sensitive detection of sex steroids from frozen breast tissue slices.