The influence of hormone replacement therapy on the pathology of breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether the pathological characteristics of breast carcinomas arising in post-menopausal women who ever used hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) differ from those of post-menopausal patients who never used HRT.


METHODS
Six hundred and forty three consecutive breast cancer patients were entered in a case control-study. Cases were represented by 111 breast cancer patients who had used or were using HRT at the time of diagnosis, while the remaining 532 patients who never used HRT were chosen as controls.


RESULTS
Tumour diameter was smaller in HRT users (17.6 vs 22.1 mm; p=0.002) and tumours of lobular histology were almost twice more frequent among HRT users as in 'never users' (21 vs 12%; p=0.01). No differences were found in grading, hormonal receptor status and axillary nodal status. The expression of c-erb B-2, p53, Ki67 and PS2 measured by immunohistochemistry was similar in the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that HRT use may modify the pathological presentation of breast cancer. Further studies are indicated, while other clinical-pathological characteristics did not differ according to HRT use.
Biglia
N
N
Gynaecological Oncology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (IRCC) of Candiolo and Mauriziano Umberto I Hospital, University of Turin, Largo Turati 62, 10128 Turin, Italy.
Sgro
L
L
Defabiani
E
E
De Rosa
G
G
Ponzone
R
R
Marenco
D
D
Sismondi
P
P
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor