title: Is there a role for estrogen and progesterone receptors in gall bladder cancer?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The concept of metaplastic and non-metaplastic types of gall bladder cancer and the likelihood of hormone receptor expression in the nuclei of tumour cells raised the possibility of a potential role for anti-estrogen therapy in gall bladder cancer. This study was carried out to determine the hormone receptors (ER/PR) expression level in gall bladder cancer using specific immunohistochemical assays and correlate it with patient and tumour histopathological characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histopathological tumour specimens of 62 patients who underwent a radical cholecystectomy were analysed. Pronase pretreatment and primary monoclonal antibodies were used to perform immunohistochemical analysis for ER and PR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The histology was adenocarcinoma--predominantly, moderately to poorly differentiated (91%). Gallstones were present in 90% of the individuals. Of the 62 specimens analysed, 62 (100%) and 61 (98%) were negative for ER and PR, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high incidence of gallstone-related gall bladder cancer in India is associated with metaplasia and a tendency to poorer differentiation in the tumour histology. These tumours are consequently less likely to express hormone receptors. Thus, there does not seem to be a role for anti-hormone therapy in patients with histogenesis similar to that seen in India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal and Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India. pjshukla@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neve
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramadwar
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deodhar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Shrikhande
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mohandas