Estrogen receptor detection in paraffin sections of adenocarcinoma of the colon, pancreas, and lung.

We performed a retrospective analysis for the presence of estrogen receptors (ERs) in known cases of adenocarcinoma of the colon, pancreas, and lung. Estrogen receptor status was determined by immunohistochemical methods using the ER-ICA (Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill) antibody on paraffin sections. None of 43 colon and 18 pancreatic adenocarcinomas demonstrated ERs by this method. Three of 42 lung adenocarcinomas exhibited some degree of nuclear staining for ERs. When evaluating an adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site, the ER-ICA antibody can be useful when included in a panel of antibodies. Positive results tend to exclude colonic or pancreatic, but not pulmonary, primary sites.