Estrogen and progesterone receptors in non-small cell lung cancer in 248 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection.
BACKGROUND
Different authors have reported estrogen receptor (ER) expression between 0% and 96.8% and progesterone receptor (PR) expression between 21.8% and 34.7%.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the discrepancies in the literature regarding the expression of ERs and PRs in non-small cell lung cancer.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis.


METHODS
A referral tertiary care center.


METHODS
We reviewed 248 consecutive cases of stage I and II non-small cell lung cancers.


RESULTS
Sections of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor tissue were stained with ER and PR monoclonal antibodies using the avidin-biotin complex detection system with antigen retrieval. Men represented 66.1% of the patients, and women represented 33.9%. Large cell (undifferentiated) carcinoma constituted 10.4% of the entire population; squamous cell carcinoma, 39.1%; adenocarcinoma, 33.0%; and bronchoalveolar carcinoma, 17.3%. Patients with stage I disease represented 77.0% of the population. In this patient population, we found no nuclear or cytoplasmic expression of either ERs or PRs (95% confidence interval, 0%-1.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
The absence of expression of ERs and PRs differs from previous articles, which use a variety of techniques, impairing a meaningful comparison of data. In addition, the presence of ER and PR expression in a lung carcinoma is supportive of a nonpulmonary primary tumor metastatic to the lung. The absence of their expression in non-small cell lung cancer does not support a role of these transcription factors in initiating and maintaining this neoplastic process.
Di Nunno
L
L
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Scott and White Memorial Hospital and Clinic, Texas, USA. ldinunno@rush.edu
Larsson
L G
LG
Rinehart
J J
JJ
Beissner
R S
RS
D002282:Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone