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Estrogen receptor expression a possible prognosis marker in cutaneous melanoma

Variations in estrogen receptor (ER) expression have been detected in various cancers, a finding now extended to cutaneous melanoma in a study in 12 patients with cutaneous melanoma and 2 patients with melanocytic nevi. ERalpha and ERbeta mRNA and ERbeta protein expression was assessed in cutaneous melanoma and in adjacent healthy skin. All melanocytic cutaneous lesions expressed detectable levels of ERalpha and ERbeta mRNA, with levels varying between patients. In 8 of 11 patients with melanoma, ERbeta levels were higher in melanoma cells than in normal cells; none of these 8 tumors showed distant invasiveness. In 3 melanoma tissues characterized by lymph node metastasis, however, ERbeta expression in tumor tissues was ...