Classical oestrogen receptor is not detectable in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Abstract

These results suggest that in pancreatic carcinoma oestrogen receptor is either absent (or at very low levels), or of a different type to that found in breast and uterine tissue. On theoretical grounds at least, this must raise questions as to the oestrogen sensitivity of pancreatic cancer.

Influence of Octreotide and Tamoxifen on Tumor Growth and Liver Metastasis in N-Nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine-Induced Pancreatic Cancer in Syrian Hamsters

“…Furthermore octreotide improved survival time and quality of life in patients with pancreatic carcinoma [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. In these trials patients received octreotide because of the observation of somatostatin receptors in human pancreatic cancer [16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22]. However, the exact pathomechanism of octreotide on pancreatic tumors and on liver metastases is still unknown [3, 23, 24].…”

Flutamide in unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

“…not mediated via hormone receptors but by digestive hormones which in turn have a modulating effect on metabolism of normal or neoplastic cells [18]. The failure to demonstrate such receptors might also be attributable to the relatively small number of receptors present in pancreatic tissue thereby challenging the biological activity and clinical significance of these proteins since hormone dependency correlates with amount of hormone receptors in the tissue [15,19]. Similarly, equivocal reports exist regarding serum testosterone levels in these patients.…”

“…This raises the question whether the previously reported hormone receptors are simply proteins with an affinity for sex hormones or they really meet the criteria for hormone receptors [14]. The existence of several proteins in exocrine pancreas with affinity for sex hormones is well known but these proteins do not have classical antigen structure identifiable by isoelectric focussing, immunocytochemical assay and monoclonal antibodies [15][16][17]. In the absence of such receptors, the exact role of sex hormones in pancreatic carcinogenesis remains conjectural.…”

“…However, the existence of sex hormone receptors in pancreatic adenocarcinoma is debatable. Immunochemical and enzyme immunoassay methods have failed to demonstrate the presence of androgen, estrogen and progesterone receptors in normal and neoplastic pancreatic tissue [9,14,15]. This raises the question whether the previously reported hormone receptors are simply proteins with an affinity for sex hormones or they really meet the criteria for hormone receptors [14].…”

Expression of estrogen receptors during growth of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (Capan-1)-relationship with differentiation

“…For cancers of the pancreas, the reports are conflicting. In pancreatic cancers sampled from men and women, ERR has been detected by some workers (10,12,18), although not by others (40,44,45). The presence of ERa sites has also been described in the following cancerous human pancreatic cell lines: Mia-PaCa, Ger, RWP-1, and Colo 357 (6,12), although Morgan et al (36) failed to detect them in the Colo 357 line.…”