Association of age distribution of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with expressed alterations of sex hormone receptors

OBJECTIVE:To explore the relationship between the expressions of estrogen and progesterone receptors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and age distribution.METHODS:The immununohistochemical method(ABC)was used to determine the expressions of ER and PR of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(SCC)from the young patients(≤40 years old,n=72)and the elderly patients(40 years old,n=70)in a high incidence area for esophageal cancer.RESULTS:The immunostaining positive rates for ER and PR in the young patients and old patient were 51%,44%(P0.05)and 3%,34%(P0.05),respectively.The location of ER and PR expressions in the young patients was in nuclear and the location of ER and PR expressions in the old patient was in the cytoplasm.In the young patients,the immunostaining both positive rate for ER and PR was 3%,both negative rate for ER and PR was 74%,the immunoreactive of ER was not coincident with PR,P0.05.In the old patients,the immunostaining both positive rate for ER and PR was 24%,both negative rate for ER and PR was 41%,the immunoreactive of ER was not coincident with PR,P0.05.The older of the patients,the less of the immunostaining positive rates for ER,P0.05.The immunostaining positive rates for ER in male and female EC patients were not significantly different in every age group,P0.05.CONCLUSIONS:The alteration of sex hormones and the expressions of sex hormone receptors may be one of the important mechanisms for esophageal carcinogenesis,and may be associated with age distribution for esophageal cancer.ER may be a target of endocrine therapy for esophageal cancer.