ESR1 and cancer: However, both primary cancer cell cultures and cancer cell lines are often characterized by an insensitivity to vitamin D. On the other hand, Friedrich et al., observed the strong immunochemical reactivity of VDR in breast cancer specimens from 228 patients, although no correlation was found between VDR expression and tumor stage, lymph node status, grading, tumor type, expression of estrogen receptors or progesterone receptors (PRs), the proliferation markers Ki-67 and p53 or the S-phase index [34].