Hormone Receptors and Proliferative Activity in Neoplasic and Non-Neoplasic Endometrium

Abstract

Hormone receptors, especially oestrogen and progesterone receptors, are very important because they have the advantage that the distribution in the tumour tissue as well as in the surrounding normal tissue can be evaluated. In recent years, immunohistochemistry has largely replaced histochemical "special stains" and electron microscopy as an adjunctive method to assist in the differential diagnosis of tumors and in the identification of infectious agents. This technique permits visualization of immunologically detectable markers (antigens) in tissue sections; thus, the pathologist can observe both the morphology and the immunophenotype of a given tissue or neoplasm.