RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Clinicopathological characteristics of oestrogen receptor negative, progesterone receptor positive breast cancers: re-evaluating subsets within this group
JF Journal of Clinical Pathology
JO J Clin Pathol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists
SP 320
OP 326
DO 10.1136/jclinpath-2016-203847
VO 70
IS 4
A1 Syed Salahuddin Ahmed
A1 Aye Aye Thike
A1 Kathryn Zhang
A1 Jeffrey Chun Tatt Lim
A1 Puay Hoon Tan
YR 2017
UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/70/4/320.abstract
AB Aims The presence of oestrogen and progesterone receptors (ER, PR) in breast carcinoma is an important prognostic indicator as well as a predictor of likely response to hormonal treatment. Current ambiguity surrounds ER-negative (–)/PR-positive (+) breast cancer (BC) as to whether this phenotype exists as a distinct entity. The independent predictive value of PR for treatment considerations is also in question, as some investigators believe ER status to be the single most important therapeutic predictive factor in BC. We undertook this study to determine the existence of ER(–)/PR(+) BC and the prognostic effect, if any, of this phenotype.Methods We investigated 267 archival documented ER(–)/PR(+) BCs diagnosed between January 1994 and July 2009. Histological slides were retrieved and reviewed. Tissue microarrays were constructed by selecting two 1 mm cores of tumour per case. Repeat immunohistochemistry was performed for confirmation of the ER(–)/PR(+) status. Clinicopathological parameters including age, ethnicity, tumour size, histological grade, histological subtype, associated ductal carcinoma in situ, lymphovascular invasion and lymph node status were evaluated.Results On repeat immunohistochemistry, 92 tumours were confirmed as ER(–)/PR(+) BCs. This phenotype accounted for 1.1% of all BC phenotypes and exhibited different clinicopathological features and survival outcome when compared with other phenotypes. ER(–)/PR(+) tumours showed a trend for an early recurrence and poorer overall survival as compared with the patients with ER(+)/PR(+) tumours and similar to ER(–)/PR(–) tumours.Conclusions Our findings suggest that ER(–)/PR(+) BCs exist, although rare, with distinct pathological and clinical characteristics from patients with ER(+)/PR(+) BCs.