title: Survival benefit of tamoxifen in estrogen receptor-negative and progesterone receptor-positive low grade breast cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and prognostic significance of adjuvant tamoxifen in breast cancer patients with various hormone receptor statuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Typically, 1,260 female breast cancer patients were recruited in this study. The correlation between estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) phenotypes and clinical characteristics was investigated, and the survival rate was assessed after 5-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year overall survival (85%) was better in women under the age of 50 years. Patients with ER+/PR+ tumors had a better 5-year survival rate (94%); those with ER-/PR- tumors experienced the worst outcome (74% survival rate); whereas single-positive cases were in between. In 97 out of 128 patients with ER-/PR+ tumors, tamoxifen was given as adjuvant hormonal therapy, and it increased the survival benefit in the lower grade group in terms of overall survival and disease-free survival (p=0.01 and p=0.03, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For high-grade tumors with ER-/PR+, adjuvant tamoxifen therapy may have no survival benefit, whereas for the patients with low-grade ER-/PR+ tumors, adjuvant tamoxifen therapy is highly suggestive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Heng
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hsin-Shun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Che
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Li-Sheng
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shou-Tung
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shou-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Dar-Ren
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: Breast carcinoma; Estrogen receptor; Progesterone receptor; Tamoxifen