Factors associated with prognosis in human breast cancer. V. The simultaneous use of estrogen and progesterone receptor measurements for prediction of short-term relapse.

Prediction of individual fate of breast cancer patients is one of the most important subjects studied because of the heterogeneity of the disease and the possibility of establishment of new therapeutic strategies. Hormone receptors have been recognized to be a valuable tool in prognosis at least in regard to short-term relapse. We have analyzed 400 patients in which hormone receptors has been determined, through stratification techniques, in 18-month and 3-year periods of disease-free interval. Clinical stage was chosen at the most important predictor in the total number of patients, lymph node status was the first predictor, estradiol receptor (ER) automatically was the second one, and the amount of receptor content had an important role in prognosis also. Inside Stage III patients ER should be the first predictor. Remarkable and independent association of progesterone receptor (PgR) content with relapse could be established. Predictive ability of ER and PgR inside lymph node status groups of patients was clearly shown. There was a remarkable difference between polar groups (lymph node-negative, ER+PgR+6% of relapse, and lymph node-positive, ER-PgR-30% of relapse) estrogen receptor status retains its predictive value, at the third year.