[Estradiol, progesterone, and dexamethasone receptors in infiltrating ductal carcinoma]

The concentration of receptor to estradiol (E-R) progesterone (Pg-R) and dexamethasone (G-R) was studied, by the dextran coated charcoal method in the cytosol of the mammary gland tissue from patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma. The study was done in one hundred cases. 45% of these patients were postmenopausic and 55% premenopausic, with average ages of 66 and 37 years respectively. Their first pregnancy occurred on average at 24 years and they had 3-4 gestations, 45% breast-fed for a minimum period of six months and menarche at 13 years. The specific union found in the tumours was considered "receptor positive" were in the range of 10 to 181 femtomoles/mg. The "Receptor negative" tumour was considered to have a specific union less than 10 femtomoles/mg protein. On using E-R as a marker to predict the hormonal treatment it was found in this study that 56% of these patients demonstrated R-E+ and was absent in 44%. Simultaneous determination of E-R and Pg-R, raised the number of patients presenting specific receptors to 70% and on determining E-R, Pg-R and G-R, in the same tumours as markers of hormone dependence, the number of patients that presented them, increased to 77%. Finally 23% of these patients did not contain E-R, Pg-R or G-R. When the values of R-E+ were grouped according to the menstrual state of the patient, it was found that the high values of R-E+ corresponded to the postmenopausic patients. No relation was found between the concentration of R-Pg+ and R-G+ and the patient's menstrual state.