[Biological significance of estrogen receptor status in axillary lymph node metastases of invasive ductal breast cancers].

One hundred and fourty-nine axillary lymph node metastases of 35 female patients with invasive breast carcinomas were investigated immunohistochemically for their estrogen receptor (ER)-status. In addition, proliferative activity of the metastatic deposits was determined with the monoclonal antibody Ki-67. Twenty-four primary tumours were ER+ and 11 ER-. Lymph node metastases were ER+ in 21 of the 24 cases where the primary tumour was ER+. In 10 of the 11 cases with ER- primary tumours, the metastases were also ER-. In any given case, the lymph node metastases proved to be either all ER+ or all ER-. Negative ER-status was found to be related to higher numbers of axillary node metastases and higher maximum proliferative activity of the metastatic tumours. Follow-up at 2 years after diagnosis revealed a significantly lower incidence of distant metastases in patients with ER+ primary tumours.