The Prevalence and Significance of Oestrogen Receptor (ER) Positivity in Breast Cancer at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica

Objective: To identify the prevalence of oestrogen receptor (ER) positivity, and determine the relationship of ER status with patient and tumour characteristics, in patients with breast cancer. Subjects and Methods: A retrospective review was conducted regarding the prevalence and clinical significance of ER in patients with breast cancer at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). Oestrogen receptor status results of 243 patients treated at UHWI were collected for the period January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2009. One hundred and ninety-nine were available for review. Results: Oestrogen receptor status was positive in 125 (63%) and negative in 74 (37%) patients. Mean age at diagnosis was 52.6 +/- 13.0 years for the ER positive group and 58.5 +/- 14.23 years for the ER negative group. Postmenopausal women accounted for 55.2% and 64.9% of the ER positive and negative groups, respectively. Mean BMI was 28.0 kg/m(2) and 29.6 kg/m(2) for the ER positive and negative groups, respectively. Menarche occurred mainly between ages 12 and 13 years for both groups. Mean age at 1st parity was 23.4 years for the ER positive and 21.4 years for the ER negative group with median parity of two for both groups. The most prevalent risk factors were oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use (24.3% for the ER positive group, 17.1% for the ER negative group), family history of breast cancer (12.0%; 13.4%) and previous smoking (8.4%; 6.9%). Tumour node metastasis (TNM) stage was Stage II in most cases (46%; 49%). Infiltrating ductal histology was most common (81.5%; 87.7%). Her 2/ neu status was negative for most patients (91.3%; 91.5%). Most patients were disease free (77.6%; 70.0%) after an average follow-up period of 3.5 years. More persons in the ER negative group had locoregional recurrence (8%) and metastases (22%). Conclusions: Oestrogen receptor positive cohort was more prevalent. The ER negative group was older (p = 0.003).