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Test for ER/PR status?

Page last modified on: October 3, 2008
Question from PYoung: Please clarify what test reveals whether one is hormone-receptor-negative. I didn't find it (or didn't recognize it) on the pathology report following my breast cancer biopsy.
Answer —Jennifer Armstrong, M.D.: The hormone receptor testing needs to be specifically requested. Usually this is done routinely by the surgeon. When patients have biopsies (usually before definitive surgery), oftentimes the sample is either small, or it is thought that hormone-receptor testing can be done on the definitive surgical specimen. So long as there is adequate tissue (which is usually the case), hormone receptor status can be requested even after the fact.

You might want to look at Breastcancer.org's section on Your Pathology Report, which will show you where to look for the information you need.

On Wednesday, November 19, 2005, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Hormone-Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer. Kathy D. Miller, M.D., Marisa Weiss, M.D., and moderator Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. answered your questions about a wide range of issues related to hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

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Meet the Experts

Kathy D. Miller, M.D.Kathy D. Miller, M.D. is associate professor of medical oncology at Indiana University, and a Sheila D. Ward Scholar.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

Jennifer Armstrong, M.D.Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. is a breast cancer oncologist at Paoli Hematology-Oncology Associates in Paoli, Pa., with a special interest in physicians' communication skills.

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