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Estrogen and progesterone receptors in human breast cancer. Correlation with histologic subtype and degree of differentiation
Author(s) -
Mohammed Raji H.,
Lakatua David J.,
Haus Erhard,
Yasmineh Walid J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19860901)58:5<1076::aid-cncr2820580516>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - estrogen , medicine , progesterone receptor , fibroadenoma , estrogen receptor , breast cancer , endocrinology , gynecomastia , carcinoma , receptor , medullary carcinoma , cancer , pathology , thyroid , thyroid carcinoma
Microscopic review of 490 consecutive human breast biopsy and mastectomy specimens were correlated with estrogen and progesterone receptor content of the tissue, by subtype and degree of differentiation. Of the 4 grades of differentiation, the less differentiated Grade III and IV tumors showed significantly lower levels of estrogen and progesterone receptors in infiltrating ductal and lobular carcinoma (P < 0.001). In contrast, patients with medullary carcinoma had the lowest tissue levels of estrogen and progesterone receptors with approximately 80% of the cases with less than 10 fmol/mg protein. Patients with mucinous carcinoma had the highest percentages of positive estrogen and progesterone receptor levels (75% and 87%, respectively). Sixty‐three percent of the patients with Grade IV infiltrating ductal carcinoma were younger than 53 years of age (P < 0.001). Patients younger than 53 years of age with Grade II and III infiltrating ductal carcinoma also had significantly lower levels of estrogen receptors, but not of progesterone receptors, than those patients older than 53 years of age (P < 0.001). Nineteen of 20 “normal” breast tissue specimens were negative (<3 fmol/mg protein) for estrogen and progesterone receptors. About 50% of 17 tissue specimens from benign breast lesions (fibroadenoma, fibrocystic disease, sclerosing adenosis) showed positive estrogen (>10 fmol/mg protein) or progesterone receptor values. In two patients with gynecomastia, no estrogen or progesterone receptors were detectable. Cancer 58:1076‐1081, 1986.