Steroid receptor status in malignant and non-malignant larynx

We investigated for the first time the relationships among all the different steroid receptor classes and between steroid receptor status and lymph node involvement in laryngeal carcinoma. Androgen (AR), oestrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors were assayed in the high-speed soluble fraction and in the nuclear extract from 73 carcinomas of the larynx. Forty-one, 26, 15, and 13 tumours expressed cytosolic GR, ER, AR, and PR, respectively, while 33, 26, 13 and 13 biopsies were nuclear-positive for GR, ER, AR, and PR, respectively. Data obtained in histologically-proven non-cancerous larynx (N = 20) compared to those obtained in the malignant specimens showed a significant loss of ER and PR in cancerous larynx over that in the non-cancerous tissue. Lymph node metastases were evaluated in only 53 of the 73 patients and they were noted in 22 cases (41.5%). No significant relationships were found either among the different classes of steroid receptors or between steroid receptors and lymph node involvement. Despite the apparent absence of any interrelationships among the different receptors or tendency towards metastasis, the presence of steroid receptors would justify the use of hormonal manipulations which could be effective in the management of this disease.