ASSOCIATION AMONG AN AUTOCRINE PARAMETER (EGF-R) AND ENDOCRINE PARAMETERS (ER AND PR) IN LOCOREGIONAL BREAST-CANCER

Sixty-three locoregional breast cancer biopsies were examined for asso ciation among epidermal growth factor receptors (as parameter of autoc rine growth control), and estrogen and progesterone receptors (as endo crine parameters of estrogen responsiveness). In the tumor group with similar steroid receptor levels, low (0-50 fmol/mg), medium (50-100 fm ol/mg) and high (above 100 fmol/mg), an inverse quantitative correlati on between epidermal growth factor receptors and progesterone receptor s was obtained (p < 0.05). In the tumor groups where estrogen receptor levels were higher or lower than progesterone receptor levels, epider mal growth factor receptors were correlated neither with estrogen nor with progesterone receptors (p > 0.05). It seemed that inverse correla tion between endocrine and autocrine parameters obtained in previous s tudies might not be a common behaviour of all breast tumors.