Primary tumor receptorial status and axillary metastases: their prognostic significance

Data on the prognostic value of receptorial status are controversial. On the basis of our results, receptorial status has no significance as an independent role; only the number of involved nodes and hormonal therapy have this prognostic role. Free of disease survival curves according Kaplan and Meier show that there are no statistically significant differences either in patients with low neoplastic recurrences (pN0) or in those patients with high risk (pN1) among women with tumor ER+ and ER-. Among 291 pN0 patients there was no relation between receptorial status (negative from 3 to 9 fmol/mg) and results of therapy on the follow-up. Among 248 pN1 patients therapy with tamoxifen had an influence on free interval both in the group with a low receptorial status and in particular in that with high receptorial level; no effects of therapy on the ER- patients. In the group of 248 pN1 patients with high receptorial status, the therapy was more successful in the group with a medium lymph nodal risk (from 1 to 3 positive nodes) and also in the group with G1 or G2. With regard to the study of the relation between lymph nodal metastases and receptorial status, we can state that lymph nodal levels data gives the main prognostic factor of risk. Therefore lymphadenectomy involving the three lymph nodal levels appears to be the crucial point in diagnostic and therapeutic surgical strategy of breast carcinoma.