TWO AIDS IN OESTROGEN RECEPTOR CHARACTERISATION

Abstract

Human breast carcinoma primary and metastatic lesions (83) were submitted for estrogen receptor (ER) assessment using a standard dextran coated charcoal saturation analysis (0.1 nM-0.8nM tritiated estradiol), and a single saturating dose (SSD) assay (8nM tritiated estradiol). Excellent correlation between the 2 methods was demonstrated. The single dose assay also provided additional information to aid the construction of adequate Scatchard plots in those biopsies which exhibited high levels of specific receptor proteins. Breast carcinoma primary or metastatic lesions (315) assessed for ER, had imprint cytological examinations to verify the malignancy of the specimen; 7% demonstrated sparse epithelial cellularity with a low or nil malignant cell proportion and showed a lower receptor positivity than the remaining specimens.