Aim: We investigated the role of c-erb-B2, hormone receptors and cathepsin D in breast carcinoma progression and their correlation with each other. Methods: Forty-six breast carcinoma patients, operated on in the deparment of surgery and diagnosed in the pathology department, were classified according to their histopathological characteristics; the results of immunostaining with estrogen and progesterone receptors, c-erb-B2 and cathepsin-D were correlated with the stage and the disease-free survival of the patients. Results: Nuclear positivity was observed in 23 (50 %) cases for estrogen receptor and in 16 (34.8 %) cases for progesterone receptor. There was membranous staining with c-erb-B2 in 37 (80.4 %) cases and cytoplasmic staining with cathepsin-D in 44 (95.6 %) cases. Cathepsin-D positivity was significantly related to the axillary lymph node metastases (p

Aim: We investigated the role of c-erb-B2, hormone receptors and cathepsin D in breast carcinoma progression and their correlation with each other. Methods: Forty-six breast carcinoma patients, operated on in the deparment of surgery and diagnosed in the pathology department, were classified according to their histopathological characteristics; the results of immunostaining with estrogen and progesterone receptors, c-erb-B2 and cathepsin-D were correlated with the stage and the disease-free survival of the patients. Results: Nuclear positivity was observed in 23 (50 %) cases for estrogen receptor and in 16 (34.8 %) cases for progesterone receptor. There was membranous staining with c-erb-B2 in 37 (80.4 %) cases and cytoplasmic staining with cathepsin-D in 44 (95.6 %) cases. Cathepsin-D positivity was significantly related to the axillary lymph node metastases (p