title: Relation between steroid receptor status and body weight in breast cancer patients.
abstract: Obesity is known to adversely affect breast cancer prognosis. Since obesity is associated with increased oestrogen levels, and oestrogens are growth stimulators of oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast carcinomas, we evaluated the relationship between the ER and progesterone receptor (PR) status of the neoplastic tissue and obesity in a series of 615 breast cancer patients. Both ER and PR concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with obesity by multiple regression analysis. Furthermore, the estimated probability of having an ER+/PR+carcinoma was significantly higher in obese patients (odds ratio 2.65, 95% confidence interval 1.56-4.48). This association between receptor-positive status and obesity was observed both in premenopausal and postmenopausal patients. Our data suggest, therefore, that obesity plays a role in determining the ER status of breast cancer and raise the possibility that ER presence in breast carcinomas occurring in obese patients is not indicative of a favourable prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Endocrinologia, University of Catania, Ospedale Garibaldi, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giuffrida
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lupo
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: La Porta
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: La Rosa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Padova
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Foti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marchese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belfiore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone