Receptors for epidermal growth factor and estrogen as predictors of relapse in patients with mammary carcinoma.

Analysis of the receptors for estradiol and epidermal growth factor was performed in tumors from 225 breast cancer patients. The tumor cell content of both receptors was independent of clinical stage and lymph node status. There was an inverse correlation between the epidermal growth factor receptor and the estradiol receptor. Either the presence of the epidermal growth factor receptor or the lack of the estradiol receptor was related to a high relapse rate. A combination of these two receptors leads to an increased prognostic predictive capacity. Patients whose tumors contain both the estradiol receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor had a relapse rate similar to those whose tumors were estradiol receptor poor, and are thus high risk patients. Patients whose tumors contain the estradiol receptor and lack the epidermal growth factor receptor belong to a good prognosis group.