Oestrogen receptor studies in carcinoma of the endometrium, carcinoma of the uterine cervix and other gynaecological malignancies.

The tissues from 30 cases of endometrial cancer and 44 cases of cervical cancer were examined for oestrogen receptor activity. Twenty of the endometrial and 9 of the cervical tumours contained oestrogen receptor levels above 4 fmol/mg protein. The proportion of oestrogen receptor-positive tumours was significantly greater in adenocarcinomas of the cervix than in squamous carcinomas of the cervix. Tissues from 3 mixed mesodermal tumours of the uterus, 2 carcinomas of the vagina, a carcinoma in situ of the cervix and a carcinoma in situ of the endometrium were receptor-negative. One ovarian carcinoma and a single case of uterine sarcoma were receptor-positive. The implications of these findings in relation to hormonal therapies are discussed.