Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Prognostic significance of estrogen receptors in 405 primary breast cancers: a comparison of immunohistochemical and biochemical methods

  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Over the last few years, estrogen receptor determinationby means of immunohistochemistry has been extensively used.The aim of this study was to comparethis technique with estrogen receptor determination by meansof dextran-coated charcoal, and to evaluate whether oneof the two methods is more predictive ofprognosis. Estrogen receptors were determined by means ofboth the dextran-coated charcoal method and immunohistochemistry in405 patients with primary breast cancer; age, pathologicaltumor size, nodal status, and progesteron receptors bydextran-coated charcoal method were also recorded. The disease-freeand overall survival probabilities were estimated using theproduct-limit method; Cox's proportional hazard model was usedto evaluate the prognostic role of estrogen receptorsas determined by the two methods.There appears to be a close association betweenestrogen receptor determination by the two methods (81.5%of concordant results) and their prognostic role wassimilar, even when the patients were divided intodifferent groups (on the basis of their estrogenreceptor status) and adjustments for the effect ofother prognostic variables were taken into account. Ourstudy shows that the two methods can beused indifferently to evaluate estrogen receptor status asa prognostic factor in breast cancer patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wollenweider-Zerargui L, Barrelet L, Wong Y et al.: The predictive value of estrogen and progesterone receptor concentrations on the clinical behavior of breast cancer in women. Clinical correlations in 547 patients. Cancer 57: 1171–1180, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  2. Williams MR, Todd JH, Ellis IO et al.: Oestrogen receptors in primary and advanced breast cancer. An eight-year review of 704 cases. Br J Cancer 55: 67–73, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  3. Alexieva-Figusch J, Van Putten WL, Blankestein M: The prognostic value and relationships of patient characteristics, estrogen and progestin receptors, and site of relapse in primary breast cancer. Cancer 61: 758–768, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  4. Clark GM, McGuire WL: Steroid receptors and other prognostic factors in primary breast cancer. Semin Oncol 15(supp.): 20–25, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  5. Molino A, Turazza M, Bonetti A et al.: Estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast cancer: correlation with clinical and pathological features and with prognosis. Oncology 49: 82–88, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  6. Early Breast Cancer Trialists Collaborative Group. Systemic treatment of early breast cancer by hormonal, cytotoxic or immune therapy. Lancet 339: 1–15, 71–85, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  7. Pertschuk LP, Eisenberg KB, Carter AC et al.: Immunohistologic localization of estrogen receptors in breast cancer with monoclonal antibodies. Cancer 55: 1513–1518, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  8. McCarty KS Jr, Miller LS, Cox EB et al.: Estrogen receptor analysis. Correlation of biochemical and immunohistochemical methods using monoclonal antireceptor antibodies. Arch Path Lab Med 109: 716–721, 1985

    Google Scholar 

  9. Pascal RR, Santeusano G, Sarrel D et al.: Immunohistologic detection of estrogen receptors in paraffin-embedded breast cancers: correlation with cytosol measurements. Hum Path 17: 370–375, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  10. Reiner A, Reiner G, Spona J et al.: Estrogen receptor analysis on biopsies and fine-needle aspirates from human breast carcinoma: correlation of biochemical and immunohistochemical methods using monoclonal antireceptor antibodies. Am J Pathol 125: 443–449, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bruun Rasmussen B, Thorpe SM, Norgaard T et al.: Immunohistochemical steroid receptor detection in frozen breast cancer tissue. A multicenter investigation. Acta Oncologica 27(6A): 757–760, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  12. De Lena M, Marzullo F, Simone G et al.: Correlation between ER-IHC and DCC assay in hormone receptor assessment of human breast cancer. Oncology 45: 308–312, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  13. Helin HJ, Helle MJ, Helin ML et al.: Immunocytochemical detection of estrogen and progesterone receptors in 124 human breast cancers. Am J Pathol 89: 137–142, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  14. Scheres HME, De Goeij AFPM, Rousch MJM et al.: Quantification of oestrogen receptors in breast cancer: radiochemical assay on cytosols and cryostat sections compared with semiquantitative immunocytochemical analysis. J Clin Pathol 41: 623–632, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  15. Parl FF, Posey YF: Discrepancies of biochemical and immunohistochemical estrogen receptor assays in breast cancer. Human Pathology 19: 960–966, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  16. Wong SY, Path MRC, Carrol EDS et al.: Detection of estrogen receptor proteins in breast tumors using an improved APAAP immunohistochemical technique. Cancer 62: 2171–2175, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  17. Wedad H, Mobbs BG: Comparative evaluation of ER-IHC and enzyme immunoassay for the quantitation of estrogen receptors in breast cancer. Am J Clin Pathol 91: 182–186, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  18. Patterson DA, Reid CP, Anderson TJ et al.: Assessment of oestrogen receptor content of breast carcinoma by immunohistochemical techniques on fixed and frozen tissue and by biochemical ligand binding assay. J Clin Pathol 43: 46–51, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sondergaard G, Pedersen KO, Paulsen SM: Estrogen receptor analyses in breast cancer: comparison of monoclonal immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 25: 1425–1429, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  20. Molino A, Bonetti F, Bonetti A et al.: Prognostic significance of estrogen receptors, determined by two different methods in breast cancer. Ann Oncol 1. (abstr 8.16), 1990

  21. Pertschuk LP, Kim DS, Nayer K et al.: Immunocytochemical estrogen and progestin receptor assays in breast cancer with monoclonal antibodies. Cancer 66: 1663–1670, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  22. Katz RL, Patel S, Sneige N et al.: Comparison of immunocytochemical and biochemical assays for estrogen receptor in fine needle aspirates and histologic sections from breast carcinomas. Breast Cancer Res and Treat 15: 191–203, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  23. Allred DC, Bustamante MA, Daniel CO et al.: Immunocytochemical analysis of estrogen receptors in human breast carcinomas. Arch Surg 125: 107–113, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  24. Cudahy TJ, Boeryd BR, Franlund BK et al.: A comparison of three different methods for the determination of estrogen receptors in human breast cancer. Am J Clin Pathol 90: 583–590, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  25. Molino A, Micciolo R, Turazza M et al.: Estrogen receptors in 699 primary breast cancers: a comparison of immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. Breast Cancer Res and Treat 34: 221–228, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  26. U.I.C.C. International Union Against Cancer: TNM Atlas. Illustrated guide to the TNM/pTNM classification of malignant tumours. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  27. EORTC Breast Cancer Co-operative Group. Revision of standards for the assessment of hormone receptors in human breast cancer: report of the second EORTC workshop, held on March 16–17, 1979, in the Netherlands Cancer Institute. Eur J Cancer 16: 1513–1515, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  28. Kaplan EL, Meier P: Nonparametric estimation from incomplete observations. J Am Stat Assoc 53: 457–481, 1958

    Google Scholar 

  29. Cox DR: Regression models and life tables (with discussion). J Roy Stat Soc (B) 34: 187–220, 1972

    Google Scholar 

  30. Breslow N: Covariance analysis of censored survival data. Biometrics 30: 89–99, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  31. Dixon WJ: BMDP statistical software. University of California press, Berkeley, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  32. Thorpe SM, Rose C, Rasmussen BB et al.: Steroid hormone receptors as prognostic indicators in primary breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 7(suppl) 91–98, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  33. DeSombre ER, Thorpe SM, Rose C et al.: Prognostic usefulness of estrogen receptor immunocytochemical assays for human breast cancer. Cancer Res 40(suppl): 4226s–4264s, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  34. Andersen J, Thorpe SM, King WJ et al.: The prognostic value of immunohistochemical estrogen receptor analysis in paraffin-embedded and frozen sections versus that of steroid-binding assays. Eur J Cancer 26(4): 442–449, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  35. Kinsel LB, Szabo E, Greene GL et al.: Immunocytochemical analysis of estrogen receptors as a predictor of prognosis in breast cancer patients: comparison with quantitative biochemical methods. Cancer Res 49: 1052–1056, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  36. Robertson JFR, Bates K, Pearson D et al.: Comparison of two oestrogen receptor assays in the prediction of the clinical course of patients with advanced breast cancer. Br J Cancer 65: 727–730, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  37. Querzoli P, Ferretti S, Marzola A et al.: Clinical usefulness of estrogen receptor immunocytochemistry in human breast cancer. Tumori 78(5): 287–290, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  38. Reiner A, Neumeister B, Spona J et al.: Immunocytochemical localization of estrogen and progesterone receptor and prognosis in human primary breast cancer. Cancer Res 50: 7057–7061, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  39. Beck T, Weikel W, Brumm C et al.: Immunohistochemical detection of hormone receptors in breast carcinomas (ER-IHC, PgR-IHC): prognostic usefulness and comparison with the biochemical radioactive-ligand-binding assay (DCC). Gynecol Oncol 53: 220–227, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  40. Alexieva-Figusch I, Van Putten WLJ, Blankestein MA et al.: The prognostic value and relationships of patient characteristics, estrogen and progestin receptors, and site of relapse in primary breast cancer. Cancer 61: 758–768, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  41. Clark GM, Wenger CR, Beardsley S et al.: How to integrate steroid hormone receptor, flow cytometric, and other prognostic information in regard to primary breast cancer. Cancer 71: 2157–2162, 1993

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, University of Verona, Italy

    A. Molino, M. Turazza, L. Sperotto, A. Bonetti & G.L. Cetto

  2. Institute of Statistics, University of Trento, Italy

    R. Micciolo

  3. Department of Pathology, University of Verona, Italy

    F. Bonetti & E. Manfrin

  4. Department of Pathology, Civic Hospital of Verona, Italy

    Q. Piubello & R. Nortilli

  5. Department of Laboratory, University of Verona, Italy

    A. Corgnati

  6. 'S. Cuore' Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy

    E. Recaldin & R. Spagnolli

  7. Department of Surgery, University of Verona, Italy

    G.P. Pollini & S. Modena

Authors
  1. A. Molino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Micciolo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Turazza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. F. Bonetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Q. Piubello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. A. Corgnati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. L. Sperotto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. E. Recaldin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. R. Spagnolli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. E. Manfrin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. A. Bonetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. R. Nortilli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. G.P. Pollini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. S. Modena
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  15. G.L. Cetto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Molino, A., Micciolo, R., Turazza, M. et al. Prognostic significance of estrogen receptors in 405 primary breast cancers: a comparison of immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. Breast Cancer Res Treat 45, 241–249 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005769925670

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005769925670

Search

Navigation