Abstract
Eighty-six cases of primary gastric cancer were studied biochemically for estrogen receptor (ER) and immunohistochemically for endogenous estradiol (E2) .
As for quantitative measurements, positive cases of ER were found in 8 out of 52 male cases (15.4%), 9 out of 34 female cases (26.6%), or 17 out of 86 cases (19.8%) in total. The levels of binding activity ranged from 6-200 fmol/mg protein.
In animmunoperoxidase study, E2 was mainly localized in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of the cancer cells. Positive cases of E2 were found in 23 out of 52 male cases (44.2%), 7 out of 34 fernale cases (20.6%), or 30 out of 86 cases (34.9%) in total.
Positive cases of ER and/or E2 were characterized maoroscopically by Borrmann 3 0r 4 types and histologically by moderately or poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with scirrhous stromal change. It is noteworthy that 5 out of 7 female cases (71.4%) which showed Borrmann 4 type with scirrhous stroma, were ER positive.
The presence of ER and E2 in primary gastric cancers indicates the possibility that these tumors may have hormone-dependency. Thus, in these gastric cancers, one would expect to employ adjuvant chemo-endocrine therapy. From this result, it is suggested that ER and E2 are useful markers for the study of sex hormones in human gastric cancer.
