A multi-centre investigation towards reaching a consensus on the immunohistochemical detection of ER beta in archival formalin-fixed paraffin embedded human breast tissue

Carder, P.J. et al. (2005) A multi-centre investigation towards reaching a consensus on the immunohistochemical detection of ER beta in archival formalin-fixed paraffin embedded human breast tissue. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 92, pp. 287-293. (doi: 10.1007/s10549-004-4262-8)

Abstract

Estrogen receptor (ER) α is a well-established independent prognostic factor in breast cancer whose presence determines the clinical implications of adjuvant endocrine therapy. A second receptor, ERb has been described, and a number of studies have examined its expression in breast tissue. However elucidation of the role played by ERb has been hampered by published immunohistochemical studies employing a variety of protocols and scoring systems such that inter-laboratory comparisons are difficult. Here we present a multi-centre study designed to critically evaluate inter-laboratory differences in methodology. Six UK and Irish centres participated in this study. A small series of breast cancers were stained using centre-specific laboratory protocols and scored using both centrespecific and standard scoring protocols. There was generally poor agreement as to what constituted a positive or negative case when centre-specific scoring systems were used with less than half of all cases in agreement. Concordance was improved when a standard scoring system was used but varied according to threshold for positivity employed and primary antibody. Our results emphasise the need for further studies addressing the role of ERb to be based on a wider consensus on criteria for positivity. Ideally this should be based on calibration against clinical outcome.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Bartlett, Prof John
• Authors: Carder, P.J., Murphy, C.E., Dervan, P., Kennedy, M., McCann, A., Saunders, P.T.K., Shaaban, A.M., Foster, C.S., Witton, C.J., Bartlett, J.M.S., Walker, R.A., and Speirs, V.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cancer Sciences
• Journal Name: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers
• ISSN: 0167-6806
• ISSN (Online): 1573-7217