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Progesterone Receptor (PR) For Breast Cancer

February 27, 2023Lab TestsTumor marker

Table of Contents

  • Progesterone Receptor (PR)
      • Sample for Progesterone Receptor (PR)
      • Purpose of the test (Indications) for Progesterone Receptor (PR)
      • Pathophysiology of Progesterone Receptor (PR)
        • Reading of the immunocytochemistry slides:
      • Clinical evaluation for PR receptor-positive breast cancer:
      • Questions and answers:

Progesterone Receptor (PR)

Sample for Progesterone Receptor (PR)

  • The paraffin blocks of the breast cancer tissue are needed for the cytochemical method.
    • There are immunocytochemical and immunochemical methods.

Purpose of the test (Indications) for Progesterone Receptor (PR)

  1. PR is done to see the sensitivity to anti-hormone therapy in the case of breast cancers.
  2. PR gives the prognosis of breast cancer.

Pathophysiology of Progesterone Receptor (PR)

  1. Progesterone receptor is a specific cellular protein with high affinity and specificity for progesterone hormone.
  2. The progesterone receptor protein is found in the target tissue like the breast, uterus, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus.
  3. Progesterone stimulates the cells through the progesterone receptor.
  4. A reduction in the blood progesterone level reduces the biochemical activity of this cell.
    1. This is the basis for the treatment of breast cancer by antihormone therapy,
    2. PR-positive breast cancer is more responsive than PR-negative cases.
  5. Postmenopausal women’s breast cancers are more PR positive than young women.
Progesterone stimulates the cells through PR-receptors.

Progesterone stimulates the cells through PR receptors.

  1. Mechanism of the anti-hormone therapy where the drug blocks the site of Progesterone hormone, and there is no signal for cell proliferation.
PR/ER positive breast cancer response to anti-hormone therapy

PR/ER-positive breast cancer response to anti-hormone therapy

Reading of the immunocytochemistry slides:

  • PR receptor stain in the nucleus (the color is brown).
    • Negative = < 5 % of the cells are positive for the PR receptors.
    • Positive = > 5 % of the cells stain for the PR receptors.
Progesterone (PR) receptor positive cells

Progesterone (PR) receptor-positive cells

Clinical evaluation for PR receptor-positive breast cancer:

  • Carcinoma of the breast shows 60 %  positivity.
  • Approximately 2/3 of the cases show a response to hormone therapy.
  • PR negative cases, 90% do not respond to hormone therapy.

Response to anti-hormone therapy

ER PR Response to hormones therapy
positive positive 75 %
negative positive 60 %
positive negative 35 %
negative negative 25 %

Questions and answers:

Question 1: How many PR-positive cells will label positive breast cancer?
Show answer
Positive PR-breast cancer is >5% positive cells.
Question 2: What is the response of breast cancer in PR-receptor positive cells?
Show answer
Breast cancer PR-positive cells has a good response to anti-hormone therapy.

Possible References Used
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