title: Receptors for estrogen and progesterone in breast carcinoma in situ.
abstract: In contrast to the situation in invasive breast carcinoma, there are only few reports on the levels of receptors for estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR) in pre-invasive (in situ) breast carcinoma. In the present study ER and PgR levels were analyzed in 57 in situ human mammary carcinomas using a quantitative enzyme immunoassay method. Intraductal carcinoma was the dominating histopathological subgroup (75%). Within this subgroup the non-comedo and comedo variants comprised 66 and 34 percent respectively. Intralobular and papillary in situ subtypes were the second most frequent subgroups, representing 11% each. Using a cut-off level of 0.05 fmole/microgram DNA to define receptor poor and rich tumors we found that thirty-one out of the 57 cases (54%) were ER-rich. In the ER-rich tumors the receptor levels varied between 0.05 and 6.50 fmole/microgram with a mean concentration of 0.80 fmole/microgram DNA. Fifteen of 51 (30%) tumors were classified as PgR-rich tumors in which the levels ranged between 0.05 and 2.90 fmoles/microgram DNA, with a mean concentration of 0.45 fmoles/microgram DNA. Two thirds of the non-comedo, lobular and papillary variant were ER rich. A majority (80%) of comedo tumors were ER poor. Our findings show that 54% of in situ breast carcinomas have the molecular prerequisites for response to antiestrogen therapy which is of interest when planning adjuvant treatment protocols.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pallis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wilking
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cedermark
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rutqvist
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Skoog
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone