Estrogen receptor ; Progesterone receptor ; Endometrial cancer ; Cervical cancer ; Ovarian cancer
Abstract
By employing the enzyme immunoassay, we have evaluated the cytosolic ER and PR status in the patients with endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancer. Because this assay has several advantages, it allows direct antigenic determination of the receptors and reduction of interlaboratory variations and it can detect the receptor site whether or not it is occupied by endogenous estrogen, requires only a small volume of tumor tissue and can be pergormed in a short period. ER and PR concentration was measured in 23 endometrial cancers, 13 ovarian cancers, and 34 patients with invasive cervical cancer and controls. ER and PR were positive in 86% and 91% of endometrial cancers, 65% and 71% of cervical cancers, and 53% and 84% of ovarian cancers. In endometrial cancer, ER and PR status is significant with clinical stage and may predict limited prognostic significance, no significant difference in receptor levels in cervical cancer was noted with menopausal status or clinical stage, but lesions greater than 3 cm had significantly lower receptor positivity when it compared with the controls. There revealed no statistical significant difference in receptor content according to the stages of ovarian cancer, but the presence of various receptor content in ovarian cancer may explain their receptor response to endocrine therapy especially in the advanced stage and serous type.