[Steroid hormone receptors in ovarian carcinomas and their clinical significance]

Concentrations of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) were determined in 197 malignant tumors of the ovary. The frequency of receptors was the same as in breast cancer (ER 64%, PR 49%). In non-epithelial ovarian carcinomas steroid receptors were found only in granulosa cell tumors. PR was found less often in metastases than in primary tumors and after chemotherapy. Premenopausal tumors were more often PR-positive than postmenopausal carcinomas (71% versus 52%). ER were always constant. PR-negative tumors seemed to respond better to chemotherapy than positive tumors. Patients with PR-negative ovarian carcinomas seem to have a better prognosis than patients with PR-positive cancer. The clinical stage or the histological grade of the tumors did not correlate to the receptor status.