Immunohistochemical analysis of estrogen and progesterone receptors in benign breast diseases.

Surgical specimens of 62 patients with fibrocystic disease, 39 with fibroadenoma and 11 with intraductal papilloma were evaluated with ER-ICA and PgR-ICA methods. Positive nuclear staining was only observed in the epithelial components. The myoepithelium, myofibroblasts, fibroblasts and the so called apocrine epithelium, however, did not contain steroid receptors.

Clinical correlations of steroid receptors and male breast cancer.

Estrogen receptors (ER) were present in tumor specimens from 29 of 34 cases of male breast cancer. There was a significant negative correlation of ER concentration with age. The quantity of ER tended to correlate directly with progesterone receptor levels, disease-free interval, and response duration among responders, but not to a statistically significant extent.