INTRA NUCLEAR ESTROGEN-RECEPTOR STATUS AND ITS CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION IN BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS

Intranuclear estrogen receptor (ERn) content of breast cancer tissue i s thought to be more closely related to prognosis, and response to hor mone treatment, as compared to conventional cytosolic estrogen recepto r (REc). ERn and ERc levels in primary breast carcinoma tissue were as sayed by ER-Enzyme immune assay (ER-EIA), and the correlation of ERn w ith ERc and clinico-pathological parameters were assessed. ERn concent ration and positive status, with 15 fmol as the cut-off value for posi tivity, is related to increasing age, lesser parity, post-menopausal s tatus and smaller tumor size. A significant correlation exists between ERn and lesser metastatic axillary nodes and the early TNM stage. ERn was found to be correlated to better tumor differentation, absent or slight L-R response and tumor necrosis.