[A comparative study of hormone receptors in breast cancer with quantitative immunocytochemistry and biochemistry]

As the biochemical assay, the measurement of hormone receptors by immunocytochemistry in invasive breast cancers may predict the ability of patients to respond to hormone therapy. The objective of this work is to determine the reliability of hormone receptors analysis on cytologic spreadings. Estrogen and progesterone receptors analysis was carried out in 109 invasive breast carcinomas: (1) with a SAMBA 2005 image analysis system on frozen cytologic spreadings (ER/PR-ICA, Abbott); (2) by visual evaluation on paraffin sections (ER-1D5, Dako; PR-ICA, Abbott); (3) by biochemistry (EIA, Abbott). There is a significant correlation between the three methods of hormone receptors analysis (0.716 to 0.842). The sensitivity of immunocytochemical methods ranges from 88.0 to 94.3%, and the specificity from 70.0 to 94.7%. The minimum concordance is 87.2%. This study demonstrates that immunocytochemistry of hormone receptors is a good alternative to biochemical measurement, especially when applied to cytologic spreadings. Therefore, immunocytochemistry can be used, when conventional biochemical assay cannot be performed for hormone receptors evaluation, particularly on cytoponctions.