Do multiple oestrogen receptor assays give significant additional information for the management of breast cancer?

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In 101 breast cancer patients, measurement of oestrogen receptor status in multiple biopsies across a tumour reveals a highly significant difference in the proportion of patients remaining either disease-free (P < 0.04) or alive (P < 0.005), when those with uniformly receptor positive (+ +) primary tumours are matched with clinically comparable patients whose tumours were homogeneously receptor negative (- -). Mean follow-up time was 85 months. The prognostic value of this discriminant is particularly striking in the 53 patients with involved nodes at presentation. Of these, 13 were (+ +) and seven remain alive of whom six are disease-free, whereas 24 of the 29 (- -) patients are dead. These results further suggest that receptor assay on a single homogenate gives less clinical information than do assays on multiple biopsies across the tumour. For patients with involved nodes, clinical management may best be decided after determination of ''macroheterogeneity''.