IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF ESTROGEN-RECEPTORS IN DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN-SITU OF THE BREAST

The expression of oestrogen receptor (ER) protein in invasive carcinom a of the breast and its clinical significance has been extensively eva luated, Little information is available regarding ER expression in duc tal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), In this study, 46 formalin-fixed, paraff in-embedded tissue specimens of mammographically detected DCIS were ev aluated immunohistochemically for the presence of ER using specific mo noclonal antibodies against ER (ER-ICA Abbott Lab), The associations b etween ER expression and histological type, degree of differentiation and patient menopausal status were evaluated, Positive ER staining was present in 72% of cases, Non-comedo types of DCIS were more frequentl y ER-positive than comedocarcinoma, ER-positive tumours were inversely correlated with the presence of nuclear pleomorphism, The incidence o f ER in pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women was similar, In concl usion, ER expression is present in a considerable percentage of DCIS, and ER-positivity is associated with the degree of differentiation and non-comedo carcinoma variants.