Correlation of histological alterations in breast cancer with response to hormone therapy

PATHOLOGICAL alterations occurring in T primary or recurrent carcinomas of the human breast undergoing regression during estrogenic or androgenic hormonal therapy have been described previously.4These effects were the basis of an hypothesis for the site and mechanism of action of the hormones in producing the observed tumor changes.The present report presents further histological and histochemical investigations of breast cancer correlated with response of tumor to hormonal therapy.The details of the clinical response in these patients have been reported elsewhere.13.18 MATERIALThe material for this study was obtained from a series of patients that could be divided into the following: (1) a group with advanced primary or recurrent cancers from which serial biopsy specimens were obtained prior to and during hormonal therapy; and (2) a group upon whom mastectomy was performed after profound regression, as the result of hormonal therapy, of extensive primary tumors originally judged to be inoperable.Primary Carcinomas.Specimens from 59 patients with inoperable breast cancer treated with hormones were studied.There were 49 pretreatment biopsy specimens, 77 post-treatment biopsy specimens, and 22 specimens from patients upon whom mastectomies had been performed after hormonal therapy.Eleven of