[Cytoplasmic receptors of steroid hormones and clinico-morphological characteristics of skin melanoma].

Receptors of estrogens (ER), progesterone (PR), glucocorticoids (GR) and androgens (AR) were assayed in samples obtained from 142 patients with malignant melanoma. GR were observed most often (57% of cases), the percentage being significantly lower for ER (25%) and PR (18%) and extremely low for AR (4%). The occurrence of GR was significantly higher in metastasis to lymph nodes (69%) and soft tissue (67%) as compared to primary tumor (39%). It was higher in acro-lentiginous melanoma (83%) than in superficially extending (30%) or nodular one (33%). GR occurrence rose with the increase in level of invasion (from 30% for level III to 71% for level V) and tumor thickness. In application of adjuvant chemotherapy, patients with GR--negative tumors tended to survive better than those with GR--positive tumors whereas in the chemotherapy-naive group, GR--positive tumors carried better prognosis.