Changes in estrogen and progesterone receptor content of primary breast carcinoma during the menstrual cycle

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine if hormone receptor activity in breast cancers changes during different phases of the menstrual cycle. Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR) receptors in seventy-eight primary breast carcinomas from premenopausal women were compared with the phase of the menstrual cycle at the time of biopsy. The frequency of ER positivity did not change, but PgR positivity became significantly higher after the early follicular phase. An increase in mean ER and PgR concentration was found (p less than .05) in the late luteal phase. The results indicate that tumor ER and PgR values change during the menstrual cycle, probably in response to endogenous hormonal fluctuations, and this may account for some vicissitudes in establishing hormone dependence.

Changing estrogen and progesterone receptor patterns in breast carcinoma during the menstrual cycle and menopause

“…16,17,20,21 However, Coradini et al did not find significant changes in ER ϩ frequency and concentrations, 18 whereas Weimer et al found the highest ER values in the late luteal phase. 19 In line with our observations of increased PgR levels during the ovulatory phase, an increase in PgR level in the early luteal phases has also been reported. 17,18 Our results, therefore, are in agreement with the overall trends of these previous studies, showing an increased ER level in the follicular phase and an increased PgR level in midcycle.…”

Low concordance of biomarkers in histopathological and cytological material from breast cancer

“…A third source of error could be found in the variation of ER-and PR-positivity and expression of oestrogen-regulated genes in breast tissue during the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women. [68][69][70] Discordant evaluations of these biomarkers at two different points in the menstrual cycle could thus be caused by natural variations in the receptor positivity in vivo, rather than by discordances in the techniques themselves. However, this could not explain why the ER and PR positivity is generally lower by ICC and IHC on the same tumours, or why there is a difference at all at the group level.…”

Anatomy and Physiology of the Breast

“…Immunohistochemical detection of estrogen receptor was noted in 31 % of samples obtained on FNAC during the fi rst half compared to its absence in the second half of the menstrual cycle (Markopoulos et al 1988 ) . Similarly, estrogen receptor in breast cancer is reported more frequently in the follicular than in the ovulatory or luteal phases, while progesterone receptor is more expressed in the ovulatory than in the follicular and luteal parts of the menstrual cycle (Pujol et al 1998 ) , though these observations are not statistically signi fi cant and have not been con fi rmed in other studies (Markopoulos et al 1988 ;Weimer and Donegan 1987 ;Smyth et al 1988 ) .…”