[Correlation between cell fluorescence for estrogen receptors and the hormone-dependence of breast cancer]

In 27 postmenopaused patients cellular ER has been assessed after fine needle aspiration by estimation of the cytoplasmic or nuclear fluorescence intensity after incubation with 27 beta-estradiol-6-carboxymethyl oxime-bovine serum albumin-fluorescin isothiocyanate. The cellular changes in the fluorescence intensity and tumor size after a 7 days treatment with Tamoxifen (TMX) have been studied. These factors have been correlated with the anatomoclinical factors. Three different groups of patients can be distinguished; in the first group of 10 patients with predominantly cytoplasmic ER fluorescence before treatment with TMX, tumor reduction and disappearance of the cytoplasmic ER fluorescence are observed in a group with the best anatomoclinical factors. In a second group of 7 patients moderate cytoplasmic and some nuclear ER fluorescence is observed. After the 7 days treatment with TMX tumor reduction is found in cases with diminished nuclear ER fluorescence, on the contrary an increase in nuclear ER fluorescence is found in fast growing tumors, with stationary tumor size after 7 days TMX treatment. A third group of 10 patients displays only nuclear ER fluorescence. After the 7 days treatment with TMX, no change occurred in tumor size, with increase of the nuclear ER fluorescence in 8 patients with fast growing tumors, in 2 patients the diminished nuclear fluorescence was accompanied by a decrease in tumor size.