Molecular Receptor Patterns in Breast Cancer with Clinicopathological Correlates
Authors: Mohammad Saiful Islam Pathan 1 , Mojibur Rahman Khan 1 , MD. Rakibul Islam Masud 1 , Beauty Saha1, Ahmed Jabeer 1, Monalisa Khan 1, Nusrath Humayra2, Nazirum Mubin3,4
Institution: Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital
Introduction
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease in which estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, and Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are important determinants of prognosis and treatment selection. Regional data on receptor patterns in Bangladesh remain limited. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate ER, PR and HER2 receptor status and their association with clinicopathological characteristics among breast cancer patients.
Methods
This hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study conducted at Mymensingh division, Bangladesh from January-December 2025; purposively included 280 patients with histopathologically confirmed primary breast carcinoma. Clinicopathological data, including age, histopathological grade, clinical stage, history of taking oral contraceptive pills and receptor status, were collected from medical records, histopathology reports and immunohistochemistry reports.
Results
Among 280 patients, most were aged 41–60 years (149, 53.2%), followed by those aged ≤40 years (113, 40.4%). Grade II tumors predominated (245, 87.5%), and most patients presented with Stage II (116, 41.4%) or Stage III (87, 31.1%) disease. ER, PR and HER2 positivity were observed in 128 (45.7%), 103 (36.8%) and 96 (34.3%) patients, respectively, while TNBC was identified in 103 (36.8%) cases. Age group, histopathological grade clinical stage, and history of taking oral contraceptive pills showed no significant association with ER, PR, HER2 or TNBC status (p>0.05).
Conclusion
Breast cancer patients in this region commonly presented at a relatively younger age, with advanced-stage and higher-grade disease. Low hormone receptor (ER and PR) positivity, relatively high HER2 positivity and a substantial burden of triple-negative breast cancer suggest an aggressive biological profile, although receptor status showed no significant association with the clinicopathological correlates studied. These findings emphasize the need for early detection, routine molecular profiling and improved access to targeted therapy
