Abstract
This article reviews the current status of hormone receptor evaluation in and out of Japan, and introduces the proposed working protocol of the task force for Adequate immunohistochemical evaluation in routine practice for breast cancer by the Japanese Breast Cancer Society. Understanding the principles and the developmental process of immunohistochemisty helps us to utilize a scoring system adequately. Methodologies of hormone receptor examination and immunohistochemical procedures are briefly introduced. Each scoring system is based on different principles. The proposed working protocol takes into account the reproducibility of results among observers, institutions and staining procedures, which is justified based on the current situation in Japan. Future directions for the standardization of immunohistochemical hormone receptor evaluation are also described.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Korenman SG, Dukes BA: Specific estrogen binding by the cytoplasm fof human breast carcinoma.J Clin Endocrinol Metab 30:639–645, 1970.
Greene GL, Nolan C, Engler JP Jensen EV: Monoclonal antibodies to human estrogen receptor.JProc Natl Acad Set USA 77:5115–5119, 1980.
Greene GL, Jensen EV: Monoclonal antibodies as probes for estrogen receptor detection and characterization.J Steroid Biochem 16:353–359, 1982.
Hockenbery D, Nunez G, Milliman C, Schreiber RD Korsmeyer SJ: Bcl-2 is an inner mitochondrial membrane protein that blocks programmed cell death.JNature 348:334–336, 1990.
Shi SR, Key ME, Kalra KL: Antigen retrieval in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues: an enhancement method for immunohistochemical staining based on microwave oven heating of tissue sections.J Histochem Cytochem 39:741–748, 1991.
Remmele W, Schicketanz KH: Immunohistochemical determination of estrogen and progesterone receptor content in human breast cancer. Computer-assisted image analysis (QIC score) vs. subjective grading (IRS).JPathol Res Pract 189:862–866, 1993.
Stegner HE, Jonat W: Cell receptors. Morphological characterization and pathological aspect. In: GS eds, Breast carcinoma ed. Springer, Berlin-Heidelberg-NewYork-London-Paris-Tokyo-HongKong-Barcelona, pp460–474, 1991.
McCarty KS, Jr., Miller LS, Cox EB, Konrath JMcCarty KS, Sr.: Estrogen receptor analyses. Correlation of biochemical and immunohistochemical methods using monoclonal antireceptor antibodies.JArch Pathol Lab Med 109:716–721, 1985.
Elston CW, Ellis IO, Goulding H, Pinder SE: Role of pathology in the prognosis and management of breast cancer, eds, The breast ed.) pp385–433.
Detre S, Saclani Jotti G, Dowsett M: A “quickscore” method for immunohistochemical semiquantitation: validation for oestrogen receptor in breast carcinomas.J Clin Pathol 48:876–878, 1995.
Allred DC, Harvey JM, Berardo MClark GM: Prognostic and predictive factors in breast cancer by immunohistochemical analysis.Mod Pathol 11:155–168, 1998.
Harvey JM, Clark GM, Osborne CKAllred DC: Estrogen receptor status by immunohistochemistry is superior to the ligand-binding assay for predicting response to adjuvant endocrine therapy in breast cancer.J Clin Oncol 17:1474–1481, 1999.
Rhodes A, Jasani B, Balaton AJ, Barnes DM, Anderson E, Bobrow LGMiller KD: Study of interlaboratory reliability and reproducibility of estrogen and progesterone receptor assays in Europe. Documentation of poor reliability and identification of insufficient microwave antigen retrieval time as a major contributory element of unreliable assays.Am J Clin Pathol 115:44–58, 2001.
Leake R, Barnes D, Pinder S, Ellis I, Anderson L, Anderson T, Adamson R, Rhodes T, Miller KWalker R: Immunohistochemical detection of steroid receptors in breast cancer: a working protocol. UK Receptor Group, UK NEQAS, The Scottish Breast Cancer Pathology Group, and The Receptor and Biomarker Study Group of the EORTC.J Clin Pathol 53:634–635, 2000.
Goldhirsch A, Glick JH, Gelber RD, Coates AS, Thurlimann B, Senn HJ: Meeting highlights: international expert consensus on the primary therapy of early breast cancer 2005.Ann Oncol 16:1569–1583, 2005.
Tsuda H, Akiyama F, Kurosumi M, Sakamoto GW-atanabe T: Monitoring of interobserver agreement in nuclear atypia scoring of node-negative breast carcinomas judged at individual collaborating hospitals in the National Surgical Adjuvant Study of Breast Cancer (NSAS-BC) protocol.Jpn J Clin Oncol 29:413–420, 1999.
Tsuda H, Akiyama F, Kurosumi M, Sakamoto G, Watanabe T: The efficacy and limitations of repeated slide conferences for improving interobserver agreement when judging nuclear atypia of breast cancer. The Japan National Surgical Adjuvant Study of Breast Cancer (NSAS-BC) Pathology Section.Jpn J Clin Oncol 29:68–73, 1999.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Umemura, S., Kurosumi, M., Moriya, T. et al. Immunohistochemical evaluation for hormone receptors in Breast Cancer: A practically useful evaluation system and handling protocol. Breast Cancer 13, 232–235 (2006). https://doi.org/10.2325/jbcs.13.232
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2325/jbcs.13.232