title: Triple hormone-receptor assay: a more accurate predictive tool for the treatment of advanced breast cancer?
abstract: In a group of 74 patients with advanced metastatic breast cancer, 57% of those with cytoplasmic oestrogen receptor activity in their tumours (REC+) showed a clinical response to endocrine therapy. Of 51 patients whose tumour was assayed for both REC and cytoplasmic progesterone (RPC) activity, 9/12 patients with REC+ RPC+ tumours responded to hormone treatment, whereas only 3/30 patients with REC-RPC-tumours had a clinical response. In a group of 19 patients in whom nuclear oestrogen receptor (REN) was also estimated in the pellets from tumour-tissue homogenates, 5/6 with tumours positive for all 3 receptors showed a clinical response. None of the 9 patients with triply negative tumours responded. Addition of the REN assay appears to reinforce the greater precision of prediction when RPC as well as REC are estimated in breast tumours.
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000032:analysis; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone