Persistence and distribution of estrogen receptor in advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma after chemotherapy

Estrogen receptor in tumor cytosol extracts from primary ovarian adenocarcinomas and/or from their metastatic foci was measured for determination of whether or not estrogen receptor content is preserved after chemotherapy. Tumor tissue was analyzed from 36 patients who had not received chemotherapy and from 16 patients after varying periods of chemotherapy. The percentages of relatively estrogen receptor-rich tumors (with more than 35 fmol estrogen receptor per milligram soluble protein, or with more than 1200 fmol estrogen receptor per gram tissue wet weight) were similar in the two groups (31 and 37%). In three of four patients who had specimens analyzed both before and after chemotherapy, there was little difference between the levels of estrogen receptor in the initial sample and in samples taken after ten to 32 months of chemotherapy. In one patient, a decrease in the amount of receptor after chemotherapy appeared to be related to the sampling technique used. There was no discernible effect of treatment on the prevalence or amount of estrogen receptor in metastases. No correlation was observed between estrogen receptor levels and the histologic type or grade of the tumor or the patients' survival. The data suggest that chemotherapy has little effect on measurable receptor levels in ovarian epithelial carcinomas. When present in one tumor site, receptor can be expected to be present in a majority of other sites in the same patient.