title: Relationship between oral contraceptive therapy and estrogen receptor status in patients with breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women, and the hormone receptor status is one of the most important prognostic factors in patients with BC. The aim of this study was to establish whether a relationship exists between the hormone receptor rate and the main classic risk factors in patients with BC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data regarding a series of 351 consecutive women (median age 57 years, range 26-85 years) who had undergone curative surgery for primary BC was retrospectively reviewed. Eighty-seven (24.8%) patients used oral contraceptives. According to the duration of OC therapy, the patients were dichotomized into two Groups. Group A: less than 22 months (47 patients, 54%) and Group B: 22 months or more (40 patients, 46%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Final pathology showed 15 (4.3%) pT1a, 62 (17.7%) pT1b, 133 (37.9%) pT1c, 125 (35.6%) pT2, and 16 (4.5%) pT3 BC. There were 286 (81.5%) infiltrating ductal, and 24 (6.8%) infiltrating lobular breast carcinomas. The average estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) rate was 59.7 +/- 32.8 and 54.2 +/- 33.9, respectively. There was no relationship (p = NS) between either ER or PgR and the age of the patients, age at menarche and menopause, number of pregnancies, age at first pregnancy, number of spontaneous abortions, months of breastfeeding and the use of estrogen replacement therapy. As expected, ER and PgR rates correlated significantly (R = 0.78, p < 0.01). The ER rates of groups A and B were 51.7 +/- 35.6% and 68.2 +/- 23.6%, respectively (p = 0.014). No other differences (p = NS) between the groups were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prolonged use of oral contraceptives may increase the ER rate within the tumor tissue, and thus such therapy should be considered an indirect positive prognostic factor in patients with BC.
authors.affiliation: University of Padua, School of Medicine, Breast Surgery Unit, Department of Surgical and Gastroenterological Sciences, 35128 Padova, Italy. flumachi@unipd.it
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lumachi
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ermani
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Loretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Cristofaro
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tombolan
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunello
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roma
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Basso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone