Steroid hormone receptors in carcinoma of the cervix

To correlate the presence of specific steroid receptors with certain characteristics of cervical carcinoma, cytosol estrogen receptors (ERc) were measured in 70 cases of cervical carcinoma, and progesterone receptors (PRc) were measured in 56 of these cases; ERc and PRc were also measured in 17 normal cervices. Measurements were made using a dextran-coated charcoal technique involving a seven-point Scatchard plot analysis. In carcinoma of the cervix significant numbers of ERc (greater than 3 fmol/mg protein) were found in 41% of the cases, and of PRc (greater than 3 fmol/mg protein) in 30%; only 28% of the 56 cases contained both ERc and PRc. In the normal cervices, 59% contained significant levels of ERc and 41% significant levels of PRc. No correlation was found between ERc and PRc and menopausal status of the patient, stage, cell type, or histologic grade of the tumor. A weak (P = 0.063) correlation between the presence of PRc and length of survival was also found, but there was no correlation between ERc and survival. Unlike the situation for breast cancer, measurement of ERc and PRc appears to add little of value to the clinical management of cervical carcinoma.