Oestrogen and progesterone receptors in melanoma and nevi: an immunohistochemical study

The effect of hormonal stimulation and fertility treatments, on the development of malignant melanoma (MM) remains to be determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) in MM and nevi after hormonal stimulation. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed utilizing antibodies specifically directed against ERα and PR in MM and atypical nevi specimens from patients: (1) diagnosed during pregnancy, (2) diagnosed in the six months following delivery, or (3) who had undergone repetitive cycles of hormonal stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the year that preceded MM diagnosis. Controls were atypical nevi and MM specimens of female patients of the same age group who had received no hormonal therapies and reported no pregnancies in the five years before diagnosis. Twenty-eight female patients at childbearing age were selected for this study. Strong cytoplasmic positivity of ERα and PR was detected in atypical melanocytes of two MM specimens of patients who had undergone repetitive cycles of hormonal stimulation during IVF procedures. All other specimens showed no expression of ERα or PR. Since our results represent preliminary findings, conclusions regarding a possible correlation between IVF therapy and melanoma occurrence cannot be ascertained. Larger laboratory studies should be performed to investigate reproductive hormone receptor expression in MM in women following IVF, pregnancy, prolonged contraceptive use, or hormone replacement therapy.