Elastosis in human breast cancer. Correlation with sex steroid receptors and comparison with clinical outcome.

Elastosis in human breast cancer has been compared with various prognostic indicators, but few studies have compared elastosis directly with prognosis. We examined 100 primary breast cancers for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) content, tumor grade, and extent of elastosis and compared these data with clinical follow-up in 71 patients. The ER content was greater than 10 femtomoles (fmole) per milligram of protein in 68% of tumors, while PR content was greater than 10 fmole/mg of protein in 48%. Histologic study showed that 22% of the tumors were grade 1, 28% were grade 2, and 50% were grade 3. Grade 2 or grade 3 elastosis was seen in 36% of the tumors and grade 0 or grade 1 elastosis was seen in 64%. There was a negative correlation between tumor grade and elastosis grade and a positive correlation between ER content and elastosis grade. Elastosis grade and PR content did not correlate. A significant positive correlation existed between lymph node positivity and elastosis. No significant direct relationship between elastosis and tumor recurrence could be demonstrated once lymph node status was accounted for. Tumor elastosis correlates with histologic grade, receptor content, and lymph node involvement but does not appear to be a direct marker of prognosis.