Cigarette smoke and the hormonal receptors status in breast cancer.

This paper describes 188 cases of early breast cancer in which age, menopause status, smoking, and pathological characteristics of the tumor were investigated, as well as status and levels of estrogen and progesterone hormone receptors. Estrogen and progesterone receptor status did not seem to differ between smokers and non-smokers. The data of this study does not confirm the observation of a larger number of cases among women who smoke. However, the proportion of estrogen-receptor-negative cases is slightly higher in pre-menopause smokers and in those patients more exposed to smoke both in terms of intensity (cigarette per day) and duration (years of exposure).