Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Prueba de receptor de estrógenos
Estrogen receptor test (ES-truh-jin reh-SEP-ter test)
A lab test to find out if cancer cells have estrogen receptors (proteins to which estrogen will bind). If the cells have estrogen receptors, they may need estrogen to grow, and this may affect how the cancer is treated.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.