Estrogen receptor immunocytochemistry in endometrial carcinoma: a prognostic marker for survival

Abstract

Only a few parameters such as tumor grade and stage are of value in prognosticating disease course in endometrial carcinoma. Biochemical steroid hormone receptor assays could also be useful but are difficult to perform and interpret. Immunocytochemical assay (ICA) might be the method of choice for detecting endometrial receptors.

Methods: Frozen tissue from 78 cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma was examined for the presence of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PgR) with specific monoclonal anti-receptor antibodies and the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. In over 60 cases, frozen tissue was also assayed for ER and PgR by biochemical means.

Results: Fifty-five (71%) of the endometrial carcinomas were ERICA-positive and 55 (71%) PgRICA-positive. Although both ERICA and PgRICA correlated significantly with biochemical ER and PgR only ERICA was predictive of survival. A woman with a negative ERICA was 4 times more likely to die of her disease than if she were ERICA-positive (P = 0.009; mean follow-up, 37.5 months). Three cases ERICA-positive and PgRICA-negative survived while 3 others ERICA-negative and PgRICA-positive died.

Conclusion: ERICA, a technique easy to perform and interpret at the community hospital level, appears to provide prognostic information independent of tumor stage and grade. Such information might be of value in planning postoperative therapies for women with endometrial cancer.