A multifactorial analysis of different biological and clinical parameters in breast cancer

Different biological and clinical parameters were correlated in a consecutive series of breast cancer patients. Age, tumor size, hormonal receptor status, grading and lymph nodal status (N) were taken into account. A linear logistic regression analysis was performed for 83 patients in whom all parameters were known. Lymph nodal involvement was observed more frequently in tumors with a diameter larger than 2 cm (RR = 3.83; p less than 0.05); it was also more frequently observed in undifferentiated tumors (G2-3), although these data were not significant (RR = 2.75). Neither age nor hormonal receptors were related to lymph nodal involvement. A significant relationship between age and estrogen receptors (ER) was found: younger women had a greater frequency of ER negative tumors (RR = 8.81; p less than 0.005). An opposite tendency was found as regards progesterone receptor status (PgR) (RR = 0.20; p less than 0.05), although these data require further confirmation. No obvious correlation was found between tumor size and hormonal receptor content, although in younger patients tumor size seems to influence ER levels: tumors larger than 2 cm were 1.43 times more often ER negative than tumors smaller than 2 cm. There was no correlation between ER and grading, although G3 tumors were found to be ER negative more frequently than others (RR = 1.71; ns) and showed a tendency to be PgR negative (RR greater than 3). Finally, tumors with lower ER levels were more frequently PgR negative (RR = 11.89; p less than 0.001).