Steroid hormone receptors in human breast cancer and clinical correlations.

Human breast cancer was studied by in vitro techniques on tissue slices and extracts for a specific binding of estradiol and dihydrotestosterone. Estradiol receptors were found in 50 percent of patients in the premenopausal group and in 47 percent of patients in the postmenopausal group. The incidence of receptors in patients with metastatic disease was 32.5 percent. In 18 of 35 patients who were positive for receptor sites a remission was observed after a variety of endocrine treatment regimens. In contrast only 3 patients out of 43 with a negative binding pattern responded to treatment with nafoxidine for a very short time. The best correlation was found in the ovariectomized group. Between the responders and the nonresonders there is no difference in the quantitative receptor content. The same is valid in view of the duration of the remission.