Female sex hormone receptors in gallbladder cancer

Higher incidence of gallbladder cancer among women suggests a role of female sex hormones in its etiopathogenesis.

This paper aims to study the estrogen/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) expression in gallbladder cancer and to correlate the receptor expression with the clinicopathological profile of patients to understand its implication.

Forty-seven patients of gallbladder cancer were studied. Tumor specimens were subjected to histopathologic examination. ER/PR expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Receptor expression was correlated with the clinicopathological profile of the patients.

Of the 47 patients, 11 (23.4 %) patients expressed sex hormone receptors. Of the receptor-positive patients, ER and PR were expressed simultaneously in eight patients while ER and PR were expressed individually in two and one patients, respectively. Metaplasia (p < 0.009) and dysplasia (p < 0.002) were found significantly more in hormone-positive group. The presence of hormone receptor correlated with early/operable stage of the tumor (p < 0.048). Hormone negativity correlated with inoperable/metastatic stage IVB (p < 0.004). The receptor status did not have any correlation with age, sex, menopausal status, presence/absence of gallstones, tumor type, tumor differentiation, desmoplasia, or necrosis.

ER and PR are expressed, mostly simultaneously, in a significant proportion (23.4 %) of patients with gallbladder cancer. Receptor expression correlates with metaplasia, dysplasia, and early/operable stage of tumor, while its non-expression with inoperable/metastatic stage. Receptor study in patients of gallbladder cancer may have prognostic implications.