Distribution, frequency, and quantitative analysis of estrogen, progesterone, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptors in human breast cancer

Abstract

The distribution and frequency of steroid hormone receptors are described 329 patients with breast cancer. The distribution of each of the steroid hormone receptors is unimodal with a progressive increase in the proportion of patients positive at lower receptor values. Receptor values expressed as fmol/mg cytoplasmic protein are well correlated with values expressed as fmol/mg breast tumor. Estrogen receptor was positive in 53% of the patients; progesterone receptor was positive in 38% of the patients; glucocorticoid receptor was positive in 52% of the patients; and androgen receptor was positive in 31% of the patients. The type of tissue assayed did not affect steroid hormone receptor positivity. For primary tumors, there was no correlation between steroid hormone receptor positivity and location of the tumor in the breast, size of the tumor, or extent of the disease. Each of the steroid hormone receptors was positively associated with each of the other steroid hormone receptors. Estrogen receptor was correlated with menopausal status and axillary nodal status, but these correlations did not exist for the other steroid hormone receptors. Estrogen receptor was not correlated with age after adjustment for menopausal status. The other steroid hormone receptors were not correlated with age.

PIP: This study describes the distribution and frequency of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), androgen receptor (AR), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in a large series of patients with primary metastatic breast cancer. 329 patients were in this series. All 4 steroid hormone receptors were present in the population: ER was positive in 53%, PR was positive in 38%, AR was positive for 31%, and GR was positive in 52%. Next, the distribution of ERs as well as the distributions of PR, AR, and GR values seemed unimodal. There was a very high correlation between any steroid hormone receptor value expressed as either fmol/mg of cytoplasmic protein or fmol/mg of breast tumor. Of more importance was that alternate methods of data expression did not alter the classification of values as positive or negative. No correlation was found between any of the steroid hormone receptors and laterality of the breast tumor, location and size of the primary tumor, extent of disease, or type of tissue assayed. None of the steroid hormone receptors correlated with age. There was a strong correlation noted between ER values and menopausal status. Neither PR, AR, nor GR was significantly associated with menopausal status. ER status was correlated with axillary nodal status, with the ER positive group containing a high proportion of node-negative patients. Finally, quantitative analysis of steroid receptor hormone values demonstrated correlations among other receptors. Plotting values of any 1 receptor vs. any other receptor resulted in a positive Kendall rank test correlation which was highly significant.