Cytoplasmic progesterone and estradiol receptors in normal, hyperplastic, and carcinomatous endometria: Therapeutic implications

Abstract

This study was designed to determine whether the presence of progesterone receptors (PR) and/or estradiol receptors (ER) could be used to predict progestin resposiveness recurrent or advanced endometrial cancners. We have demonstrated the presence of phyalcochemically similar cytoplasmic progesterone and estradiol receptors in normal, hyperplastic, and carcinmatous endometria. normal endometria contained both PR and ER/ Seventy-three percent of endometrial hyperplasies were PR(+) and 93% were Er(+). A decreasing concentration of progesterone receptor activity was observed with incresing tumor anaplasia [grade 1, 84% PR(+); grade 2, 55% (+); grade 3, 22% PR(+) J and in irradiated tumors. A statistically significant (p < 0.001) relationship has been demonstrated between the presence of specific cytoplasmic PR and response to progestin theraphy in recurrent or advanced endometrial adenocacinomas. Thus we conclude that a PR essay may be used to help select the most appropriate therapyfor patients with recutrent or advanced endometrail adenocarcinoma (Am. Obstet. Gynecol. 141:539, 1981.)