Adenocarcinoma of the cervix. Expression and clinical significance of estrogen and progesterone receptors.

BACKGROUND

Although hormone receptor status is an important prognostic indicator in adenocarcinoma of the breast and the endometrium, few studies have investigated the expression and clinical significance of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) in adenocarcinoma of the cervix.

METHODS

ER and PgR expression were determined using an immunohistochemical method in 84 cervical adenocarcinomas. Clinical features and outcome were determined by chart review.

RESULTS

ER was identified in 17 of the 84 cases (20%). ER positivity was most frequently detected in mucinous adenocarcinoma of the endocervical type (in 11 of 48 cases) and endometrioid adenocarcinoma (in 4 of 10 cases). PgR was identified in 23 of the 84 cases (27%). PgR positivity was also most frequently detected in mucinous adenocarcinoma of the endocervical type (in 15 of 48 cases) and endometrioid adenocarcinoma (in 6 of 10 cases). Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the intestinal type (five cases), glassy cell carcinoma (two cases), and clear cell adenocarcinoma (two cases) were uniformly negative for both ER and PgR. No association was detected between International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and receptor status, but there was a somewhat lower frequency of ER positivity in poorly differentiated tumors (P = 0.07). No association was detected between PgR status and disease free survival. Similarly, no association between ER status and overall survival was observed. Although ER positive tumors may be associated with longer disease free survival than ER negative tumors, this difference did not reach statistical significance in this study (P = 0.06).

CONCLUSIONS

ER and PgR positivity were found in 20% and 27%, respectively, of primary cervical adenocarcinomas. However, receptor status was not significantly associated with either overall survival or disease free survival.