Help! ER/PR question

The percentage of ER and PR positivity tells you what number out of 100 cells on the slide are positive for receptors. So, for your ER there were 90 out of 100 cells with estrogen receptors, for your PR all the cells had receptors. This is one slide, for the determination of positivity. Other slides could have more of less cells with receptors.The intensity of staining is the response of the sample to the actual testing type used and is less indicative of meaning, and has more to do with how easily read the sample is for positivity.

thanks Special K I was interested in this post and went and looked at my pathology report. The intensity I never paid attention to until now. My intensity for both ER and PR was a 3 on a scale from 0-3. Interesting - I would have guessed that for ER since I am 100%, but not for PR since mine is 58%.

Nancy

My biomarkers also came back as 3+ for pr-positive (99%)--and the exact same % for my er.

The confusing issue to me is, why do they even test for progesterone when it seems that the major endocrine therapies either target the estrogen receptor or the serum protein/hormone itself? I cannot find published data that details how the subset population of strong pr-positive tumors responded to Tamoxifen or one of the AIs. In other words, all of the information that I've found about why and how Tamoxifen or an AI can be effective in treating BC, addresses the estrogen factor (and not the progesterone). They are 2 completely separate steroids!

I'm worried about taking a drug for 5-10 years because of potential SE, and hoped to find info that indicated one might be more effective in tx'ing women with strong pr-postive receptors.

Anyhow, it's frustrating when I'm told, "er+/pr+ (and her2-neg) is the best kind of BC to have!" Maybe so regarding current FDA-approved treatment, but I'm looking for a straightforward answer to digest and then move on to better, more important things in life. Sadly, I've been obsessing about this mysterious progesterone factor and I guess I just needed to vent. Arggg ! I blame it on the cancer! Thanks for listening!

Me too - I remember when my radiologist looked at my ER+/PR+ percentages. He said ER+ at 100% was very good. Then he said we don't care about the PR. Huh? I thought I read somewhere though that ER+/PR- is more aggressive. Don't know where I read that or if I dreamt it lol.

Nancy

Some new info on hormone receptors everyone might find interesting.

http://after20yrs.com/2015/08/06/hormone-receptor-...

As a Er+100% and Pr 0% grade 3 idc club member, this helped to answer lots of questions

Jojo2373, thanks for sharing the link--the article looked very interesting. I briefly scanned through it last night, but hope to read it carefully tonight. Glad to see more articles addressing the role of progesterone.