Metastatic breast carcinoma in pleural fluid. Correlation of morphology with estrogen receptor activity and morphology of the primary carcinoma.
Sixty-nine breast carcinoma patients with malignant pleural effusions were studied (1) to compare the morphology of the carcinoma cells in the effusions with the morphology in the primary carcinomas and (2) to correlate the morphologic findings with the estrogen receptor (ER) activity of the carcinomas and with the survival of the patients. Twenty-six patients had effusions containing carcinoma cells forming hollow spheres (morula-positive cases) while 43 had pleomorphic tissue fragments or tumor giant cells or both (morula-negative cases). Twenty-nine of 44 primary carcinomas with hormone receptor determination were ER positive. The median survival of patients with ER-positive tumors was 77 months while the median survival of ER-negative patients was 46 months. Thirteen patients with morula-positive effusions and 16 patients with morula-negative effusions had ER-positive primary carcinomas (P less than .001). Thirteen of 17 patients with morula-positive effusions and 4 of 23 patients with morula-negative effusions had duct or tubule formation in their primary carcinomas (P less than .001). The median survival of 26 patients with morula-positive effusions was 92 months, compared with 49 months for 43 patients with morula-negative effusions (P less than .001). Patients with ER-positive/morula-negative carcinomas had a significantly better survival rate than did patients with ER-negative/morula-negative carcinomas, but a significantly poorer survival rate than did patients with morula-positive carcinomas.
Wiley
E L
EL
Department of Pathology, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
Von Roenn
J
J
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000473:pathology*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D015996:Survival Rate
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen