The hormonal receptor status of uterine carcinosarcomas (mixed müllerian tumours): an immunohistochemical study.

AIM: To investigate the role of oestrogen and progesterone receptor status in uterine carcinosarcomas (mixed Müllerian tumours) to see whether the receptors were identifiable, and if so whether they were of significance clinically.

METHODS: 11 cases of uterine carcinosarcoma were identified from clinical and pathology records. An immunohistochemical method was used to demonstrate oestrogen and progesterone hormone receptors on paraffin embedded material, with suitable tissue controls, staining being recorded.

RESULTS: 10 of 11 cases showed staining for one or both hormone receptors in normal tissue adjacent to tumour. In four carcinosarcoma cases, staining for one or both receptors was shown within the epithelial component (appearing to correlate with the degree of epithelial differentiation); two of these cases had staining within sarcomatous areas. Two of the three patients still alive had epithelial hormone receptor positivity.

CONCLUSIONS: Receptors for oestrogen and progesterone were found in four of 11 cases of uterine carcinosarcoma, using paraffin embedded material. There may be an association between hormone receptor positivity and clinical outcome.