Immunohistochemical determination of estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast cancer: relationship with clinicopathologic factors in 302 patients in Ivory Coast.
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous and a hormone-dependent disease. The detection of the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) is crucial for prognostic evaluation and treatment choice of breast cancer for clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of the hormonal receptors, their distribution, and their correlation with clinicopathologic prognostic parameters for the improvement of the patients' treatment in Ivory Coast.


METHODS
The 20-month prospective study included 302 patients who were diagnosed with primary invasive breast carcinomas at the Central Laboratory in Abidjan. The paraffin-embedded blocks of these patients were examined by immunohistochemistry to assess the ER and PgR status. The one-way analysis of variance and Chi-Square Test were used to analyze the data.


RESULTS
The mean age of patients at diagnosis was 48 ± 11 years. The majority of the women were premenopausal in 180 cases (59.9%). The predominant histologic type was invasive ductal carcinoma not otherwise specified (IDC NOS) in 247 cases (82%). Tumor grade 2 was more frequent in 166 cases (55%). Among 302 patients, 169 (56%) and 154 (49%) expressed ER and PgR respectively. The ER+PgR+ group with 131 cases (43%) was predominant, followed by 116 cases (38%) of ER-PgR-. The expression of ER and PgR was correlated with the age of the patients (p = 0.026) and the tumor grade (p = 0.0004). However, there was not statistically significant correlation between ER/PgR and the menopausal status of patients (p = 0.149), nor between ER/PgR and the histologic type (p = 0.523).


CONCLUSIONS
The ER+PgR+ and ER-PgR- are the most common subgroups in women with breast cancer in Ivory Coast. The hormonal receptor status is associated with the age and the histologic grade in breast cancer patients. The systematic use of hormonal treatment should be reevaluated. A further study should be done to investigate the reasons of high rate of ER-PgR- in breast cancer patients in Ivory Coast.
Department of Anatomic Pathology, School of Medicine, Alassane Ouattara University, BP V 18, Bouake, Ivory Coast.
Ahoua Benjamin
AB
Effi
Department of Anatomic Pathology, School of Medicine, Alassane Ouattara University, BP V 18, Bouake, Ivory Coast. nguie1ana@gmail.com.
Nguiessan Alphonse
NA
Aman
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Treichville Teaching Hospital, 01 BP V 03, Abidjan 01, Ivory Coast.
Baumaney Sylvanus
BS
Koui
Department of Anatomic Pathology, School of Medicine, Alassane Ouattara University, BP V 18, Bouake, Ivory Coast.
Kouadio Donatien
KD
Koffi
Department of Anatomic Pathology, School of Medicine, Alassane Ouattara University, BP V 18, Bouake, Ivory Coast.
Zie Cheick
ZC
Traoré
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Treichville Teaching Hospital, 01 BP V 03, Abidjan 01, Ivory Coast.
Mohamed
M
Kouyate
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone
Breast cancer; Clinicopathologic factors; Estrogen receptor; Immunohistochemistry; Progesterone receptor