Localization of estrogen receptors in gastric cancer using immunohistochemical staining of monoclonal antibody

Abstract

REAST CANCER, endometrial cancer, and prostatic B cancer are known to be sex hormone-dependent tumors and effectively treated by various hormone therapies. In recent years, the presence of estrogen receptors (ER) has been demonstrated in some cases of cancer in the digestive tract such as the stomach,'-3 large i n t e ~t i n e , ~? ~ pancreas,6 and the liver,7 which are nontarget organs of sex hormones. Especially in scirrhous gastric cancer, studies have shown the usefulness of antiestrogen therapy using t a m ~x i f e n . ~, ~ ER in gastric cancer tissues are generally detected by biochemical methods such as the dextran-coated charcoal method (DCC method) and the sucrose density gradient method. As an immunohistologic method, estrogen staining with antiestrogen antibody is used although this method does not directly demonstrate the presence of ER.