Reproducibility of measurements of oestrogen-receptor concentration in breast cancer

Hawkins, R. A.; Hill, Adam T.; Freedman, B.; Gore, Stephen; Roberts, M M; Forrest, A. P. M.

doi:10.1038/bjc.1977.200

Cited by 39 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…74%) showed some staining whilst the remaining 9 tissues, all with biochemically determined receptor concentrations of < 10 fmol mg-1 protein, showed no detectable trace of staining. There was a strong correlation between either the intensity of staining (Figure 1 (Hawkins et al, 1977, Masters et al, 1978, Hawkins et al, 1981 and as might be expected from the localisation of receptors in the epithelial cells of the tumour. In the present study, although the tumour cellularity differed between the portion selected for histochemical assay and that selected for biochemical assay, the differences were slight in 33 out of 34 tumours and severe in only one case (7% vs. 37%).…”

supporting

confidence: 67%

Histochemical detection of oestrogen receptors in breast carcinoma: A successful technique

Hawkins¹,

Sangster²,

Krajewski³

1986

Br J Cancer

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supporting

confidence: 67%

Histochemical detection of oestrogen receptors in breast carcinoma: A successful technique

Hawkins¹,

Sangster²,

Krajewski³

1986

Br J Cancer

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“…This explanation is important in account- ing for the large inter-site variability seen in mammary-gland tumours. Considerable variation in the cell: stroma ratio has been found in mammarygland tumours, and a correlation between this ratio and the number of binding sites has been observed recently by Hawkins et al (1977). The increased variability in the dissociation constant supports this explanation, as the constitution ofthe cytosol fraction influences the value obtained for this parameter (Braunsberg, 1975).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Inter-site variation of oestrogen receptors in human breast cancers

Tilley¹,

Keightley²,

Cant³

1978

Br J Cancer

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Summary.-When large human breast cancers were assayed for oestrogen receptors at multiple sites, 5-fold differences were found in the numbers of oestrogen receptors, between the site within a tumour. This may result from variations in the cell: stroma ratio from site to site. Such differences could be significant when receptor levels in the tumour are low (<50 fmol oestradiol bound mg cytosol protein) since the classification distinction between hormone-sensitive and hormone-insensitive breast cancers is based upon numbers of oestrogen receptors detected by the assay. This problem might be remedied by assessment of the cell:stroma ratio in all assayed tumours, and by the combination of the cytoplasmic oestrogen-receptor assay with other hormone-receptor assays.

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“…In view of the heterogeneity of breast tumours with respect to oestrogen receptor concentration (e.g. Braunsberg et al, 1975;Hawkins et al, 1977;Senbanjo et al, 1986), it may not be possible to attain a better correlation between assays on aspirates and those on excision biopsies.…”

Section: Patientsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The cytochemical detection of oestrogen receptors in fine needle aspirates of breast cancer; correlation with biochemical assay and prediction of response to endocrine therapy

Hawkins

Sangster²,

Tesdale³

et al. 1988

Br J Cancer

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Summary A total of 98 breast aspirates from patients with breast cancer have been fixed and stained for oestrogen receptors using the Abbott ERICA kit. In a preliminary series of 41 aspirates, cytochemical staining index (% cells staining x mean intensity) related to the receptor concentration determined biochemically on a subsequent biopsy with a correlation coefficient of +0.65. In a second series of 56 aspirates examined after lysis and cytocentrifugation, the correlation coefficient was +0.73. For 14 patients, the response of the primary tumour to endocrine therapy was assessed objectively by serial clinical and mammographic measurements (Forrest et al., 1986) and was found to relate strongly to the cytochemical staining of the initial aspirate. The potential and limitations of this technique are discussed.The presence of oestrogen receptors within a breast tumour is now established as an index of both improved prognosis and increased likelihood of response to endocrine therapy (Hawkins, 1985). The generation of monoclonal antibodies against the human oestrogen receptor (Greene et al., 1980) has permitted the development of commercial kits for both biochemical (ER-EIA) and histochemical (ER-ICA) assays by Abbott Laboratories. The results of the latter technique have been shown to correlate well with those of established biochemical, steroid-binding (DCC) methods on biopsies of solid tumour (King et al., 1985;McLelland & Coombes, 1985;McCarty et al., 1985;Hawkins et al., 1986) and the technique has recently been extended to the assessment of receptor status in breast cancer cells collected by needle aspiration (McLelland & Coombes, 1985;Flowers et al., 1985;McLelland et al., 1987;Cavailles et al., 1987;Weintraub et al., 1987). We set out to examine the feasibility of using such a method and to compare the results of the technique with (a) those of our standard DCC assay on solid biopsy, established 15 years ago and (b) response to endocrine therapy in patients with large primary tumours. Methods and materials PatientsAspirates were taken from patients presenting to the departmental clinic for the first time. The patients' ages ranged from 33 to 76 years. Aspirates were obtained by making approximately 10 passes through the tumour using a 21 gauge needle, mainly by two of us (PAL, EDCA). After preparation of smears for diagnostic cytopathology, residual material was used for fixation and cytochemical staining. In one subset of 14 patients with large tumours (>4cm, T2/T3 and one T4), the patient proceeded after aspiration to wedge biopsy for further biochemical and histological investigations prior to initiating endocrine therapy. The response of the primary tumour was monitored objectively by sequential clinical and mammographic measurements (Forrest et al., 1986). Of these patients, five received the LHRH agonist Zoladex (ICI 118630), five aminoglutethimide, two 4-hydroxyandrostenedione and two tamoxifen. One patient was premenopausal, 12 were postmenopausal and one was male. Response was classed as regress...

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Reproducibility of measurements of oestrogen-receptor concentration in breast cancer

Cited by 39 publications

References 11 publications

Histochemical detection of oestrogen receptors in breast carcinoma: A successful technique

Histochemical detection of oestrogen receptors in breast carcinoma: A successful technique

Inter-site variation of oestrogen receptors in human breast cancers

The cytochemical detection of oestrogen receptors in fine needle aspirates of breast cancer; correlation with biochemical assay and prediction of response to endocrine therapy

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