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Prognostic value of estrogen receptors determined by radiochemical vs. histochemical methods in breast cancer

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment volume 6, pages 67–73 (1985)Cite this article

Summary

Estrogen receptors (ER) were evaluated in 634 breast cancer patients by the dextran-coated charcoal method (DCC). In 206, ER and progesterone receptors (PR) were also tested by cytochemistry (Lee method), and in 124 ER were tested by immunofluorescence (Pertschuk method). The median follow-up is 3.7 years.

Comparisons have been made between receptor content and:1) anatomical and clinical features, 2) disease-free survival (DFS), and 3) survival.

The following conclusions can be drawn:

  1. a)

    there is no correlation between ER determinations by DCC and by immunofluorescence or cytochemical methods;

  2. b)

    there is no evidence of association between ER and PR determined by Lee's method and anatomical and clinical features;

  3. c)

    a highly significant positive association was found between ER rich specimens and age, post-menopausal status, lobular and tubular histologic types;

  4. d)

    there is no association between ER values and TNM stage, WHO grading, pathologic prognostic factors of primary tumor and of lymph nodes; and

  5. e)

    the DFS was not affected by ER status, except for tumors with more than 50 fmol/mg protein.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology ‘A’, University of Torino, Italy

    Piero Sismondi M.D., Franco Genta, Francesco Deltetto, Giorgio Giardina, Maria Piera Mano & Adriano Bocci

  2. Department of Pathology and Biochemistry, S. Anna Hospital, Torino, Italy

    Virgilio Aimone, Gianfranco Voglino, Gianni Botta, Bruno Ghiringhello & Paolo Zola

Authors
  1. Piero Sismondi M.D.
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  2. Virgilio Aimone
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  3. Franco Genta
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  4. Gianfranco Voglino
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  5. Francesco Deltetto
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  6. Giorgio Giardina
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  7. Gianni Botta
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  8. Bruno Ghiringhello
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  9. Maria Piera Mano
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  10. Paolo Zola
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  11. Adriano Bocci
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Sismondi, P., Aimone, V., Genta, F. et al. Prognostic value of estrogen receptors determined by radiochemical vs. histochemical methods in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Tr 6, 67–73 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806012

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806012

Key words

  • breast cancer
  • estrogen receptors
  • histochemistry
  • progesterone receptors
  • prognostic factors