Androgen receptors: a marker to increase sensitivity for identifying breast cancer in skin metastasis of unknown primary site.
Metastatic lesions to the skin may present a dilemma in the identification of the primary site. Breast carcinoma, metastatic to the skin, that is negative for estrogen receptors (ERs) and/or progesterone receptors (PRs) may be mimicked by a number of other metastatic lesions. In the present study, 16 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded infiltrating ductal carcinomas metastatic to the skin, which were ER-/PR-, ER-/PR+, or ER+/PR-; 5 metastatic lesions to the skin from primary lesions other than breast cancer; and 5 eccrine tumors were examined for immunoreactivity to the androgen receptor. The majority of the metastatic breast lesions (82%) exhibited immunopositivity for androgen receptor, whereas the metastatic skin lesions from primary lesions other than breast cancer and the eccrine tumors were immunonegative. Thus, androgen receptor immunohistochemistry could serve as a marker to increase sensitivity for identifying breast cancer in skin metastasis of unknown primary sites.
Bayer-Garner
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IB
Department of Pathology, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205, USA.
Smoller
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B
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000737:chemistry / Q000556:secondary*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000032:analysis*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000556:secondary*; D013544:Sweat Gland Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone