J Korean Surg Soc.
2000 Apr;58(4):471-479.
The Clinical Significance of Hormonal Receptors in Breast Cancer
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea.
Abstract
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PURPOSE: Clinically, the detection of steroid hormone receptors, estrogen receptor (ER) and proges
terone receptor (PR), has been used not only as a prognostic marker but also as a predictor of hormone
response in breast-cancer patients. We performed this study to evaluate the clinical significance of
hormone receptors in breast cancers in Korea. METHODS: We have collected data about hormonal receptors
from breast-cancer patients of Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, since
1984. A total of 544 patients were followed up and their clinicopathological results were analyzed
retrospectively by using medical records. The survival analysis was performed by using the Kaplan-Meier
method. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 47.3 years, and the peak of age distribution was
noted in the 5th decade. The premenopausal patients were 358 (65.8%), and the postmenopausal patients
were 186 (34.2%). The median follow-up period was 4.5 years. The results of ER/PR status were as
follows: (+)/(+) in 191 patients (35.1%), (+)/(-) in 82 patients (15.1%), (-)/(+) in 74 patients (13.6%), and (-)/(-)
in 197 patients (36.2%). The positive rates of ER and PR were 52% or 55% in
premenopausal patients and 46% and 36% in postmenopausal patients, respectively. In the univariate
analysis of the overall survival by the Log-rank test, the significant variables were stage (p=0.0004),
node metastasis (p=0.0000), lymphatic invasion (p=0.0000), vein invasion (p=0.0558), ER (p=0.0397),
PR (p=0.0538), adjuvant hormone therapy (p=0.0010), the duration of hormone therapy (p=0.0004). In
the multivariate analysis of the overall survival by using the Cox regression test, the significant variables
were ER (p=0.0070), adjuvant hormone therapy (p=0.0234), adjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.0493) and mean
ingful results were noted in the duration of hormonal therapy (p=0.0629), lymphatic invasion (p=0.0752)
and tumor size (p=0.1726). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the pattern of hormonal
receptor status according to menopause status might be different from that of western patients and
confirmed hormonal receptors as prognostic markers and predictors of hormone therapy in breast cancer.