[Place of hormone receptor determination in the therapeutic strategy of breast cancer].

Up to the discovery of hormonal receptors it was somewhat uncertain to prescribe hormonotherapy for the treatment of a breast cancer. The presence of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) allows the estimation of the probability of hormone-dependence. The response to endocrine therapy will be expected with a rate of: 80% of the tumors PR +; 30% of the tumors ER+ but PR-; 10% of the tumors ER - and PR -. The response to chemotherapy is no accurately correlated with the concentration of receptors. The planning of therapy will be founded on the following principles. ER -: less favourable prognosis and unlikely response to endocrine therapy, therefore chemotherapy if the other prognostic factors are bad. ER +: endocrine therapy is required, especially if PR +. The role of chemotherapy ought to be discussed with respect to the other prognostic factors. All these factors are reviewed and a decision-tree of the treatment of advanced breast cancers is put forward. In short, it is obvious that the receptors assays have to be carried out as for as possible.