Immunohistochemical tumor markers in infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Immunohistochemical techniques allow the study of tumoral markers with predictive or prognostic value. AIM: To study tumoral markers in mammary carcinoma and to relate these markers with age and tumoral histological grade. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The expression of nuclear estrogen receptor (RE), nuclear progesterone receptor (PGR), p53 and c-erb-B2 proteins was analyzed in 382 cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast. RESULTS: The histological grade was I in 22% tumors, II in 56% and III in 23%. Forty nine percent of tumors had positive staining for RE, 41% for RPG, 45% for p53 and 57% for c-erb-B2. Correlation was found between histological grade and expression of RE, p53 and c-erb-B2 between RE and PGR, RE and c-erb-B2 and between c-erb-B2 and p5. RE expression correlated with age. CONCLUSIONS: A reliable and rapid evaluation of these markers can be achieved using immunohistochemical staining. The present results are similar to other biochemical and immunohistochemical studies.