Glucocorticoid receptor expression in breast cancer associates with older patient age.
Breast cancer can be classified according to estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and HER2 receptor expression. Recent evidence suggests that activation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) contributes to breast cell survival, although the incidence of GR expression in primary human breast tumors is not well established. We therefore evaluated ER, PR, HER2, and GR by immunohistochemistry from 231 patients and found that while African American (AA) patient tumors were much more likely to be ER negative compared to tumors from non-AA patients, GR expression was significantly higher in tumors from patients >or=50 regardless of ancestry. Prospective examination of GR expression in tumors should be considered to determine whether GR contributes to long-term clinical outcome.
Belova
Larissa
L
Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, MC2115, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Delgado
Bertha
B
Kocherginsky
Masha
M
Melhem
Amal
A
Olopade
Olufunmilayo I
OI
Conzen
Suzanne D
SD
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human