European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Background: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women with increasing incidence in India. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast carcinoma amongst various histological entities. Immunohistochemical markers of prognosis and predictors for therapy include estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu). Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate how ER, PR, and HER2/neu were expressed in invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast. The objective was to study the correlation of these markers with one other and to various parameters like the patient's age, the tumor size, histological grading, and its spread to axillary lymph nodes.
Material and Methods: 50 cases diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma were taken for this prospective study. Histopathological examination revealed diagnosis of infiltrating ductal carcinoma and further evaluation was done with immunohistochemical profile-ER, PR, HER2/neu and their expression. For ER/PR expression, the Allred scoring systemwas used, and for HER2/neu expression the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)and College of American Pathologists (CAP)guidelines were used. Using the Chi square test, a statistical analysis was done.
Results: Most of the tumors were positive for ER and PR but negative for HER2/neu expression. ER and PR were having strong correlation with each other, age, tumor size, and tumor grade, but HER2/neu was only strongly correlated to tumor size. No correlation was studied with respect to axillary lymph node metastatic deposits. Expression of ER and PR was correlated with one other, but neither of them correlated to HER2/neu.
Conclusion: As most tumors are ER and PR positive, correlating with one other, tumor size, and grade. Hereby it is recommended that breast carcinoma patients have their hormone receptors evaluated for their further prognosis and procuring best treatment regimens available.