Abstract
Biochemical determination of hormone receptors in carcinomas is influenced by the potential heterogeneity of the tissue samples. In order to check this, samples of 16 breast cancers were divided into 6 segments. These segments were alternately examined for their ratio of tumor tissue to connective tissue (“percentage of carcinoma”) or for the content of estrogen and progesterone receptors. Only 3 of the tumors were homogeneous, and 9 of the heterogeneous tissues had hormone receptors. The segment with the maximum “percentage of carcinoma” was adjacent to that with the peak value of hormone receptors in all but 1 tissue. The same applied to the minima. The maximum and minimum values of estrogen and progesterone receptors were located within the same segment in all but one tissue sample. The results demonstrated that biochemical assay of hormone receptors is reliable. A reduction of the sample volume does not enhance the precision of the receptor assay, since it increases the possibility of a false negative result.
Key words: Carinoma, Tissue heterogeneity, Estrogen receptor, Progesterone receptor
References
- Furmanski P, Saunders DE, Brooks SC, Rich MA (1980) The prognostic value of estrogen receptor determinations in patients with primary breast cancer. Cancer 46:2794–2796 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Greene GL, Sobel NB, King WJ, Jensen EV (1984) Immunochemical studies of estrogen receptors. J Steroid Biochem 20:51–56 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- King WJ, Greene GL (1984) Monoclonal antibodies localize oestrogen receptor in the nuclei of target cells. Nature 307:745–747 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Korenman SG, Dukes BA (1970) Specific estrogen binding by the cytoplasma of human breast carcinoma. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 30:639–645 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Maass H, Jonat W (1979) Steroidrezeptoren in Mammakarzinomen. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 39:761–764 [Google Scholar]
- Maass H, Jonat W, Stolzenbach G, Trams G (1980) The problem of non-responding estrogen receptor-positive patients with advanced breast cancer. Cancer 46:2835–2837 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Magdelénat H (1984) Estrogen and progestin receptors in drill biopsy samples of human mammary tumors. In: Leclerq G, Toma S, Paridaens R, Heuson JC (eds) Clinical interest of steroid hormone receptors in breast cancer. Recent Res Cancer Res, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, Vol 91:45–49 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- McGuire WL (1978) Hormone receptors. Their role in predicting prognosis and response to endocrine therapy. Semin Oncol 5:428–433 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Scatchard G (1949) The attractions of proteins for small molecules and ions. Ann NY Acad Sci 51:660–672 [Google Scholar]
- Silfverswärd C, Skoog L, Humla S, Gustafsson SA, Nordenskjöld B (1980) Intratumoral variation of cytoplasmic and nuclear estrogen receptor concentrations in human mammary carcinoma. Eur J Cancer 16:59–65 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Silfverswärd C, Wallgren A, Nordenskjöld B, Humla S (1984) Estrogen receptor analysis in fine needle aspirates from human breast carcinoma. In: Leclerq G, Toma S, Paridaens R, Heuson JC (eds) Clinical interest of steroid hormone receptors in breast cancer. Recent Res Cancer Res. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, 91:41–44 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Singhakowinta W, Saunders DE, Brooks SC, Samal B, Vaitkevicius VK (1980) Clinical application of estrogen receptor in breast cancer. Cancer 46:2932–2938 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tilley WD, Keightley DD, Cant ELM (1978) Inter-site variation of oestrogen receptors in human breast cancers. Br J Cancer 38:544–546 [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]