[The importance of hormone receptors in benign breast diseases]

Benign breast lesions are usually divided with regard to the proliferative activity into three categories. These lesions, depending on their histopathological characteristics and correlation with epidemiological studies differ as to the risk of breast cancer. 1. The concentration of hormonal receptors in the breast tissue in our group correlated with the proliferative activity of the lesion. 2. A major proliferative lesion and atypical hyperplasia of the ductal epithelium are a typical precancerous condition. 3. The hormonal receptor concentration defines, in addition to the histological classification, the biological activity more accurately. The prevalence of the oestrogen receptor or its trend to predominate over the progesterone receptor is a serious marker of imminent cancerogenesis. 4. Based on the prevalence of hormonal receptors it is possible to select suitable hormonal treatment to suppress the proliferative potential of the breast lesion. 5. A high level of the oestrogen receptor in non-malignant formations of the breast can be considered a manifestation of increased sensitivity of this target tissue to circulating oestrogens. It is a question whether it is the manifestation of mutation of the oestrogen receptor or the consequence of long-term exposure to uncovered levels of bioavailable oestrogens.