Discordance of estrogen receptor (ER), progestin receptor (PR), and HER-2 receptor statuses between primary and metastatic focuses of breast cancer]

Hormone and Herceptin therapy for metastatic breast cancer is commonly based on expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and progestin receptor (PR), and over-expression of HER-2 in primary breast cancer, but studies comparing receptor statuses in primary and metastatic focuses of the same patient are limited. This study was designed to investigate discordance of ER, PR,and HER-2 statuses between primary and metastatic focuses of breast cancer.Immunohistochemistry assay was used to detect expression of ER, PR, and HER-2 receptor in primary and metastatic focuses of 65 cases of breast cancer.Positive rate of ER in primary focuses was 56.9% (37/65), significantly higher than that in metastatic focuses (33.8%, 22/65)(P< 0.01); while positive rates of PR and HER-2 receptor have no significant difference between primary and metastatic focuses. Total discordance rates of ER, PR, and HER-2 were 35.4%, 29.2%, and 16.9%, respectively.Difference in expression level of ER between primary and metastatic focuses of breast cancer was significant, while differences of expression of PR, and HER-2 wasn't significant, but we still should think highly of the expression differences of ER,PR,and HER-2 in our clinical practices.