EJMS

Abstract

Background: steroids and their nuclear receptors including androgen receptor (AR) play significant role in the development and maintenance of normal function of human breast. AR is also expressed in 70-90% of invasive breast cancers and could be utilized as a prognostic indicator and a target for hormonal therapy. Aim of the work: the aim of the present work was to evaluate the expression of AR in the normal tissue of the four quadrants of the female breast and invasive duct carcinoma and to compare the androgen receptor expression in the primary tumor and the adjacent non-neoplastic (normal) tissue of the affected breast quadrant. Material and methods: a total of 50 pathological specimens of female breast were studied in this work. For all specimens, clinical parameters such as: age of the patient, breast quadrant affected by the tumor, size of the tumor and axillary lymph nodes status were obtained from the patients' records. Tissue samples from each breast quadrant as well as separate samples from the tumor were obtained from each mastectomy specimen, and prepared for histological examination (haematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome stains) as well as immunohistochemical staining for AR. Results: the upper outer quadrant showed the highest mean area percentage of both collagen fibers and AR expression while the tumor presented higher area percentage than any of the four quadrants regarding both collagen fibers and AR expression. Statistically significant negative correlations were found between tumor AR expression and clinicopathological parameters. Conclusion: AR is expressed in both normal breast tissue and invasive duct carcinoma. AR expression in invasive tumors could be associated with better prognosis and survival and could be used as a therapeutic target in hormonal treatment of breast carcinoma.