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Updated: Jul 5, 2026
12:31
An Ex vivo Model to Study Hormone Action in the Human Breast
Published on: January 8, 2015
Hormones and breast cancer
1University of Texas Health Science Center, Department of Medical Oncology, San Antonio, TX 78284-7884, USA.
Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism: TEM
|March 1, 1991
Summary
Steroid hormone receptors in breast cancer reveal tumor biology and guide treatment. Measuring estrogen and progesterone receptors aids in selecting patients for hormonal therapy and predicting recurrence risk.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Steroid hormone receptors are crucial in human breast cancer.
- Understanding these receptors offers insights into tumor biology.
- Receptor status influences therapeutic strategies and patient prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the significance of steroid hormone receptors in breast cancer.
- To explain the role of clinical assays for estrogen and progesterone receptors.
- To underscore the prognostic value of hormone receptors.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of scientific literature on steroid hormone receptors and breast cancer.
- Review of clinical assays for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) determination.
- Integration of receptor data with other prognostic factors.
Main Results:
- Estrogen and progesterone receptor assays are vital for patient selection in hormonal therapy.
- Receptor content in breast cancer tissue is a key prognostic indicator.
- Hormone receptor status, alongside other factors, aids in identifying patients at risk for early recurrence.
Conclusions:
- Steroid hormone receptor evaluation is fundamental in managing human breast cancer.
- Accurate measurement of ER and PR improves treatment selection and prognostic assessment.
- Hormone receptor status is indispensable for personalized risk stratification in primary breast cancer.
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