[Estrogen and progesterone receptors of primary breast carcinoma and their axillary lymph node metastases--immunohistochemical investigations of routine formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue].

OBJECTIVE

The estrogen- (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) of 27 pre- and 33 postmenopausal primary breast carcinomas with 320 axillary lymphonodal metastases were investigated in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Special interest was devoted to the comparison of the receptor equipment between the axillary lymphonodal metastases and the appertained primary carcinoma. ER-antibody D5 and PR-antibody NCL-PGR were used for investigation.

RESULTS

ER-positive carcinomas of premenopausal women and ER-respectively PR-positive carcinomas of postmenopausal women corresponded significantly more frequent to receptor-positive lymphonodal metastases. Carcinomas with receptor-positive metastases were mostly ER-positive and PR-negative. About all receptor-positive metastases had the same combination of receptors. In cases of high numbers of lymphonodal metastases these were in general more often receptor-negative. Respectively, the receptor-positive metastases numbered lower than the receptor-negative. Immunohistochemical receptor-negative primary carcinomas can inherit receptor-positive lymphonodal metastases.

CONCLUSIONS

Immunohistochemical investigations render it possible to determine ERs and PRs not only in primary carcinomas but in lymphonodal metastases, too. Eventually the prognostic factors "ER" and "PR" will be used more often in the determination of therapeutic decisions.