Immunocytochemistry on scrape cytology in breast cancer: will it unearth the weaker positives?
OBJECTIVE
To standardize the technique of immunocytochemical (ICC) assessment of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status in breast cancer by scrape cytology and to compare the results with immunohistochemistry on paraffin blocks.


METHODS
ICC assessment for ER and PR was done on scrape smears from tissue samples in 200 cases of primary breast cancer. The results were compared to those obtained from immunohistochemical (IHC) evaluation of formalin-fixed paraffin same tissue samples.


RESULTS
ER/PR positivity rates as well as staining scores were compared between the scrape smears and tissue sections. The concordance between cytology and histology was 84% for ER and 90% for PR. Both the positivity rates and the staining intensity scores were higher for cytochemistry than for histochemistry.


CONCLUSIONS
The ICC method on scrape smears is a simple test with rapid turnaround time. The sample required is small, and antigen loss due to fixation and processing is minimal. This new method gives a higher yield of hormone receptor positivity and, when used in conjunction with the IHC method, may improve the pickup rate of ER-positive cases, thereby playing an important role in risk stratification and therapeutic decision making in patients with breast cancer.
Malaviya
Alopa A
AA
Department of Pathology, Division of Cytology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Chinoy
Roshan F
RF
Prabhudesai
Neelam M
NM
Sawant
Meena H
MH
Parmar
Vani
V
Badwe
Rajan A
RA
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016707:Tissue Fixation
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone