Association of estrogen and progesterone receptors with clinicopathological prognostic factors in breast cancer

Abstract EN

Background: The detection of the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) in women with breast cancer (BC) is considered a crucial step for prognostic evaluation and treatment choice in clinical practice.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the expression of the hormonal receptors (ER and PgR), their distribution, and their association with clinicopathologic prognostic parameters in a sample of Iraqi women with BC.

Materials and Methods: The paraffin‑embedded blocks from a total of 80 women diagnosed with primary invasive breast carcinomas with BC were examined by immunohistochemistry to assess the expression of ER and PgR status.

Demographic and clinical data were collected from each patient in the preformed questionnaire.

The association of steroid receptor expression with clinicopathologic parameters was assessed using binary logistic regression.

Results: Among 80 BC women involved in the study, 54 (67.5% ) and 39 (48.75% ) had high expression of ER and PgR, respectively.

High ER expression was significantly associated with older age (odds ratio [OR] = 4.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16–19.81, P = 0.03), postmenopausal status (OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.25–10.33, P = 0.015), smaller tumor (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.09–0.75, P= 0.01), and with noninvolvement of lymph node (OR= 0.11, 95% CI = 0.02–0.51, P= 0.005).

High PgR expression, on the other hand, was significantly associated with older age (OR = 4.44, 95% CI = 1.02–19.39) and postmenopausal status(OR = 3.13, 95% CI = 1.24–7.88, P = 0.016).

Concomitant overexpression of both receptors was significantly associated with postmenopausal status and noninvolvement of lymph nodes.

Conclusion: High expression of ER and PgR seems to be a good prognostic indicator because it was associated with less aggressive is considered a crucial step for prognostic evaluation and treatment choice in clinical practice.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the expression of the hormonal receptors (ER and PgR), their distribution, and their association with clinicopathologic prognostic parameters in a sample of Iraqi women with BC.

Materials and Methods: The paraffin‑embedded blocks from a total of 80 women diagnosed with primary invasive breast carcinomas with BC were examined by immunohistochemistry to assess the expression of ER and PgR status.

Demographic and clinical data were collected from each patient in the preformed questionnaire.

The association of steroid receptor expression with clinicopathologic parameters was assessed using binary logistic regression.

Results: Among 80 BC women involved in the study, 54 (67.5% ) and 39 (48.75% ) had high expression of ER and PgR, respectively.

High ER expression was significantly associated with older age (odds ratio [OR] = 4.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16–19.81, P = 0.03), postmenopausal status (OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.25–10.33, P = 0.015), smaller tumor (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.09–0.75, P= 0.01), and with noninvolvement of lymph node (OR= 0.11, 95% CI = 0.02–0.51, P= 0.005).

High PgR expression, on the other hand, was significantly associated with older age (OR = 4.44, 95% CI = 1.02–19.39) and postmenopausal status(OR = 3.13, 95% CI = 1.24–7.88, P = 0.016).

Concomitant overexpression of both receptors was significantly associated with postmenopausal status and noninvolvement of lymph nodes.

Conclusion: High expression of ER and PgR seems to be a good prognostic indicator because it was associated with less aggressive tumors