[Estrogen and progesterone receptors in malignant melanoma, benign pigmented nevi and basocellular epithelioma].

45 malignant melanomas, 10 benign nevi and 17 basal cell carcinomas were investigated for estradiol (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor activity by a single saturating-dose method (5 nM for ER and 10 nM for PR) using DCC. ER were found respectively in 7%, 10% and 24% of the studied samples and PR in 18%, 40% and 29% of the same samples. The low rates of ER+ and PR+ samples were discussed according to the data of the literature, more specially to the weak results obtained with anti-estrogenic therapy and to the possibility of tyrosinase to mimic the estrogen binding detected in melanomas.