The influence of perimenopausal age on estrogen receptor status and estradiol and DNA content in human breast cancer.
In 25 cases of breast cancer occurring in perimenopausal age, estrogen receptor (ER) content was determined by the dextran-coated charcoal (DCC) assay and both endogenous-bound estradiol and nuclear DNA concentrations were measured by computerized quantitative analysis on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples. No statistically significant relationship (p greater than 0.05) was found within these parameters. The high incidence (64%) of ER-negative cases in this menopausal age was mainly due (62.5%) to interference of high levels of endogenous estradiol occupying the receptor sites in-vivo. The prevalence of hormone-insensitive and aneuploid cell clones accounted for the remaining true ER-negative tumours (37.5%).
Betta
P G
PG
Department of Pathology - City Hospital, Alessandria, Italy.
Robutti
F
F
Spinoglio
G
G
Bottero
G
G
D000367:Age Factors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D011003:Ploidies / Q000187:drug effects; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D004958:Estradiol; D004247:DNA