Duduyemi BM, Adegbola TA, Ipadeola O, Mortimer G, Salman R, Ulman V, McAnena O, Connolly C
Breast cancer is the commonest malignancy and the s econd commonest cause of death among females. In line with achieving effective treatment for cancers emphasis are increasingly being placed on understanding the molecular biology of tumours. This study aims to determine the pattern of expression and clinicopathologic correlation of alp ha and beta oestrogen receptors in primary and recurrent breast cancer. Patients with recurrent br east cancer seen at the University College Hospital , Galway between 1998 and 2000 formed the population for the study. Relevant data were retrieved from the clinical notes. Fresh sections from the primary and recurrent tumours and lymph nodes were stained with H&E and immunohistochemical stains. Hi stologic type and grading were done using the WHO classification and modified SBR grading system. Thirty nine women between 32-80 years were studied. The disease free period range from 5-170 m onths with a median of 28 months and 5-year disease free period constitute 5%. Patients with lo bular carcinomas have longer disease free period (mean of 78 months) than those with ductal carcinom a (mean 30.8 months). Nine (81.8%) of grade 1 tumour had over 5 year disease free period in contr ast to 16 (41%) of grade 3 tumour. ER receptor subtypes were variably expressed in the primary tum ours and loss of expression was seen in recurrent tumours although not statistically signif icant. The pattern and clinicopathologic correlatio n of ER α in this study is in agreement with documented lite rature while that of ER β has added to the growing controversy.
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