COMPARATIVE-EVALUATION OF QUANTITATIVE IM MUNOCYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ASSAYS FOR HORMONE RECEPTORS IN BREAST-CANCER

As the biochemical assay, the measurement of hormone receptors by immu nocytochemistry in invasive breast cancers may predict the ability of patients to respond to hormone therapy. The objective of this work is to determine the reliability of hormone receptors analysis on cytologi c spreadings. Estrogen and progesterone receptors analysis was carried out in 109 invasive breast carcinomas: (1) with a SAMBA 2005 image an alysis system on frozen cytologic spreadings (ER/PR-ICA, Abbott); (2) by visual evaluation on paraffin sections (ER-1D5, Dako; PR-ICA, Abbot t); (3) by biochemistry (EIA, Abbott). There is a significant correlat ion between the three methods of hormone receptors analysis (0.716 to 0.842). The sensitivity of immunocytochemical methods ranges from 88.0 to 94.3%, and the specificity from 70.0 to 94.7%. The minimum concord ance is 87.2%. This study demonstrates that immunocytochemistry of hor mone receptors is a good alternative to biochemical measurement especi ally when applied to cytologic spreadings. Therefore, immunocytochemis try can be used, when conventional biochemical assay cannot be perform ed for hormone receptors evaluation, particularly on cytoponctions.