Prognostic significance of hormone receptors in endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND: Endometrial carcinoma is the most common female pelvic genital malignancy. Many studies suggest that approximately 75% of all endometrial cancers are clinical Stage I. More than 50% of cancer deaths are in patients with clinical Stage I disease. As a result, prognostic factors have been evaluated in an attempt to identify those patients with presumed early stage disease who will be at high risk for recurrence. Recently, hormone receptor status (estrogen [ER], progesterone [PR]) in endometrial cancer has been suggested to be a prognostic factor. METHODS: Two hundred seventeen patients with Stage I and II endometrial cancers were evaluated for cytoplasmic steroid-receptor status. These results were compared with other prognostic factors in both univariant and multivariant analysis. RESULTS: When ER and PR and combined ER/PR status were analyzed separately, patients with receptor-positive lesions had significantly better disease-free survival than those with receptor-negative lesions. The receptor status was also a significant independent prognostic factor when evaluated by stepwise proportional hazards regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Hormone receptor status in endometrial cancer appears to be an important prognostic factor.