[Breast cancer receptor status in smoking and diabetic patients]

Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor levels were assayed in 2,284 primary breast cancer patients who either smoked (350) or suffered diabetes mellitus type 2 (1997-2003). In a group of 1010, 95 patients had diabetes mellitus type 2 whereas 393--such signs of cardiovascular pathology as atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease (2000-2003). Among the premenopausal smokers, the ER+PR-phenotype predominated (t = 2.18, p < 0.05) as well as among the diabetics (t = 2.01, p < 0.05). In reproductive diabetics, the share of PR- tumors was significantly higher than in diabetes-free patients (t = 2.17, p < 0.05). There was no correlation between diabetes and the tumor receptor phenotype in the menopausal group, while ER + tumors--occurred more frequently in smokers (t = 2.33, p = 0.02). There was no link between cardiovascular pathology and receptor status in either of the age groups. Hence, the increasing proportion of ER + PR--tumors in smokers and diabetes mellitus patients occurs in a random manner in menstruating women, which is associated with elevated estrogenemia. This indicates the phenomenon of switching of estrogen effects involving disturbed transduction of estrogen signals.