Oestrogen and progesterone receptors and disease-free interval in primary breast cancer.

Oestrogen and progesterone receptor assays were performed in 286 women with primary breast cancer, and the patient group was followed up for a minimum of 24 months. Of the 263 patients belonging to clinical stages I-III and serving as the population used for calculation of disease-free interval only 1.9% received postoperative endocrine treatment and 6.5% chemotherapy. No significant relationship between the presence or concentrations of oestrogen or progesterone receptor and the disease-free interval was observed. It is therefore possible that the positive relationship between these variables reported in some investigations reflects an influence by adjuvant endocrine measures.