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Female Sex Hormone Receptors in Gallbladder Cancer

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Abstract

Background

Higher incidence of gallbladder cancer among women suggests a role of female sex hormones in its etiopathogenesis.

Objectives

This paper aims to study the estrogen/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) expression in gallbladder cancer and to correlate the receptor expression with the clinicopathological profile of patients to understand its implication.

Materials and Methods

Forty-seven patients of gallbladder cancer were studied. Tumor specimens were subjected to histopathologic examination. ER/PR expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Receptor expression was correlated with the clinicopathological profile of the patients.

Results

Of the 47 patients, 11 (23.4 %) patients expressed sex hormone receptors. Of the receptor-positive patients, ER and PR were expressed simultaneously in eight patients while ER and PR were expressed individually in two and one patients, respectively. Metaplasia (p < 0.009) and dysplasia (p < 0.002) were found significantly more in hormone-positive group. The presence of hormone receptor correlated with early/operable stage of the tumor (p < 0.048). Hormone negativity correlated with inoperable/metastatic stage IVB (p < 0.004). The receptor status did not have any correlation with age, sex, menopausal status, presence/absence of gallstones, tumor type, tumor differentiation, desmoplasia, or necrosis.

Conclusions

ER and PR are expressed, mostly simultaneously, in a significant proportion (23.4 %) of patients with gallbladder cancer. Receptor expression correlates with metaplasia, dysplasia, and early/operable stage of tumor, while its non-expression with inoperable/metastatic stage. Receptor study in patients of gallbladder cancer may have prognostic implications.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Command Hospital (Southern Command) & Armed Forces Medical College, Wanowrie, Pune, Maharashtra, 411040, India

    Ramanathan Saranga Bharathi

  2. Department of General Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India

    Rajinder Singh, Rajesh Gupta & Ganga Ram Verma

  3. Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India

    Naveen Kalra

  4. Department of Histopathology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India

    K. Kiran & Kusum Joshi

Authors
  1. Ramanathan Saranga Bharathi
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  2. Rajinder Singh
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  3. Rajesh Gupta
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  4. Ganga Ram Verma
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  5. Naveen Kalra
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  6. K. Kiran
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  7. Kusum Joshi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ramanathan Saranga Bharathi.

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Saranga Bharathi, R., Singh, R., Gupta, R. et al. Female Sex Hormone Receptors in Gallbladder Cancer. J Gastrointest Canc 46, 143–148 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-015-9698-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-015-9698-z

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