INFLUENCE OF TUMOR ESTROGEN CONCENTRATION ON PROGNOSIS IN BREAST-CANCER - STUDIES IN PREMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL PATIENTS OF DIFFERENTETHNIC-GROUPS

Epidemiologic and clinical evidence suggest that oestrogens play a rol e in sustaining and promoting breast cancer. The relationship of tumou r oestrogen levels and other features of breast cancer is, however, po orly understood. The present study included 108 patients with primary breast cancer who had tumour oestrone (E1) and oestradiol (E2) as well as oestrogen and progesterone receptors and aromatization capacity me asured. The patient population included both pre- and post-menopausal women and comprised both black and Caucasian subjects. Tumour oestroge n concentrations were significantly lower in premenopausal as compared to post-menopausal patients while E2 measurements were higher in prem enopausal as compared to post-menopausal patients. There was no signif icant correlation between either tumour oestrogen level and hormone re ceptor status. Tumour oestrogen and progesterone receptor concentratio ns as well as tumour El concentrations were lower in black post-menopa usal patients as compared to those found in white post-menopausal pati ents. In a multivariate analysis both disease free and overall surviva l were significantly lower in patients with higher tumour El levels, O ther factors of prognostic significance were race, tumour size (T) and nodal status (N). These findings suggest that tumour hormone content may influence the behaviour of breast cancer independantly of hormone receptor status.