Correlation of immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical determination of estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate prospectively the degree of correlation between immunocytochemical (ICC) and immunohistochemical (IHC) determination of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) in breast cancer.


METHODS
Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of 101 primary breast cancers were immunostained for ER and PR. They were compared with similar determinations in formalin-fixed paraffin sections of biopsies from the same patients. In cases of discrepancy, the histologic result was considered the gold standard.


RESULTS
For ER a cytohistologic correlation of 94%, with a sensitivity of 96.1% and specificity of 86.9%, was found. For PR the cytohistologic correlation was 71.2%, with a sensitivity of 65.7% and specificity of 83.8%.


CONCLUSIONS
ICC determination of hormone receptors in routinely fixed smears obtained by FNAC is a simple method that correlates adequately with the results of IHC determinations, especially for ER.
Zoppi
Jorge A
JA
Department of Pathology, Hospital Privado de Comunidad, Córdoba 4545, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina.
Rotundo
Andrea V
AV
Sundblad
Alberto S
AS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone