Female sex hormone receptors and their importance in clinical practice.

We now know a great deal about the early steps in the induction of a steroid hormone response at the cellular level. This helps to explain some of the observed clinical responses and also the development of some congenital anomalies. The importance of progesterone as a balance to the proliferative effects of extrogen both in hormone replacement therapy and in the hormone-sensitive tumors is clear. It is hoped that further studies will guide us to ways in which we might enhance these benefits.