[Receptor (ER, PgR) levels as prognostic factors in the endocrine therapy of pre- and post-menopausal patients with stage III infiltrative ductal and lobular cancer of the breast].

Receptors group (ER+, PgR+) in post-menopausal and pre-menopausal patients with ductal and lobular infiltrating mammary cancer clinical stage III and poorly differentiated histological assessment was studied. Levels of (ER+, PgR+) were correlated to endocrine therapy response (Tamoxifen) after 5 years of its administration. Both pre and post-menopausal patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma, the (RE+, RPg+) tumour content, the mean values were 52 +/- 8, 53 +/- 11 fmol/mg protein and 111 +/- 20, 36 +/- 7 fmol/mg protein, respectively. With regard to lobular carcinoma, the (RE+, RPg+) tumour content, the mean value was 109 +/- 28, 46 +/- 12 fmol/mg protein in pre-menopausal patients, whereas it was 287 +/- 60, 66 +/- 18 fmol/mg protein in post-menopausal patients. The tumour was considered (ER+, PgR+) when specific binding was than 10 fmol/mg protein. In both ductal and lobular carcinoma the mean (ER+) concentrations are significantly different between the post and pre-menopausal patients, while the mean (PgR+) concentrations are significantly different in post-menopausal women. After five years of treatment with tamoxifen, survival analysis of patients with ductal infiltrating and lobular infiltrating carcinoma revealed a very strong correlation between levels of receptor group (ER+, PgR+) and their response to endocrine therapy.