Cytoplasmic estrogen and progesterone receptor content of uterine sarcomas.

Analyses of cytoplasmic estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor were performed on tumor specimens from 32 patients with uterine sarcomas. While the median and maximal quantitative levels of binding were lower than those observed in endometrial carcinomas, examples of estrogen receptor- and progesterone receptor-positive as well as estrogen receptor- and progesterone receptor-negative tumors were observed in all histologic categories of sarcomas. The presence of significant levels of estrogen receptor binding correlated (p less than 0.05) with the presence of progesterone receptor. The receptor binding status did not correlate with the histologic type of sarcoma, clinical stage, primary or metastatic tumor, presence of extrauterine metastases, age, previous exogenous estrogen therapy, mitotic count, or overall differentiation or nuclear differentiation of the sarcoma. The overall and nuclear differentiation of the carcinomatous elements of homologous mixed müllerian tumors did not correlate with receptor status. The presence of significant levels of estrogen receptor did demonstrate a trend (p less than 0.10) favoring enhanced survival through short-term follow-up, but this trend was not demonstrated with survival beyond 36 months. Steroid receptor status did not otherwise affect prognosis or disease-free survival. No correlation between receptor content and response to hormonal therapy or chemotherapy was observed.