Clinicopathological characteristics of the patients
| Variables | Number of patients (%) expressing ERβ | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| <10% | 10–40% | >40% | |
| ER, oestrogen receptor; PR, progesterone receptor. | |||
| Menopausal status | |||
| Before menopause (n = 39) | 12 (30.7%) | 17 (43.5%) | 10 (25.6%) |
| After menopause (n = 142) | 40 (28.1%) | 54 (38%) | 48 (33.8%) |
| Tumour maximum diameter | |||
| <2 cm (n = 49) | 12 (24.4%) | 20 (40.8%) | 17 (34.7%) |
| >2 cm (n = 132) | 40 (30.3%) | 51 (38.6%) | 41 (31%) |
| Histological type | |||
| Invasive ductal not otherwise specified (n = 149) | 41 (27.5%) | 63 (42.3%) | 45 (30.2%) |
| Invasive lobular (n = 32) | 11 (34.3%) | 8 (25%) | 13 (40.6%) |
| Histological grade (in ductal invasive carcinomas only) | |||
| I (n = 13) | 4 (30.7%) | 7 (53.8%) | 2 (15.4%) |
| II (n = 91) | 24 (26.4%) | 37 (40.6%) | 30 (33%) |
| III (n = 43) | 12 (27.9%) | 19 (44.2%) | 12 (27.9%) |
| Nuclear grade | |||
| I (n = 71) | 17 (24%) | 29 (40.8%) | 25 (35.2%) |
| II (n = 60) | 17 (28.3%) | 20 (33.3%) | 23 (38.3%) |
| III (n = 47) | 16 (34%) | 21 (44.7%) | 10 (21.3%) |
| Lymph node status | |||
| Tumour free (n = 69) | 16 (23.2%) | 27 (39.1%) | 26 (37.7%) |
| Tumour infiltrated (n = 112) | 36 (32.1%) | 44 (39.3%) | 32 (28.6%) |
| Stage | |||
| I (n = 29) | 6 (20.7%) | 12 (41.4%) | 11 (38%) |
| II (n = 126) | 37 (29.4%) | 46 (36.5%) | 43 (34.1%) |
| III (n = 26) | 9 (34.6%) | 13 (50%) | 4 (15.4%) |
| ERα immunostatus | |||
| Negative (n = 61) | 27 (44.3%) | 24 (39.3%) | 10 (16.4%) |
| Positive (n = 117) | 23 (19.6%) | 46 (39.3%) | 48 (41%) |
| PR immunostatus | |||
| Negative (n = 91) | 28 (30.8%) | 35 (38.5%) | 28 (30.8%) |
| Positive (n = 87) | 22 (25.3%) | 35 (40.2%) | 30 (34.5%) |