Estrogen and progesterone receptors in colon tumors.

Existing data suggest that there is a hormonal basis to the cause of colon cancer. In the present study, we evaluated the presence of estrogen receptors (ERs) and progesterone receptors (PRs) in colonic tumors from 156 women diagnosed with colon cancer in Utah from September 1991 through September 1994. Immunohistochemical staining with antibodies to ERs and PRs was performed on histologic sections prepared from paraffin blocks. None of the tumors were considered ER-positive; 1 tumor was PR-positive. Use of hormone replacement therapy was not associated with PR-positive tumors. These data do not support previous reports that suggest that colon tumors frequently have receptors for estrogen, progesterone, or both.