scholarly journals The local hormonal environment and related biomarkers in the normal breast

2005 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
S A Khan ◽  
D Bhandare ◽  
R T Chatterton
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Cancer Risk ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Needle Aspiration ◽  
Normal Breast ◽  
Protein Markers ◽  
Nipple Aspiration ◽  
Cellular Expression ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Prevention Studies

Recent developments in breast epithelial sampling techniques (nipple fluid aspiration, ductal lavage, and random fine needle aspiration) provide new opportunities for the acquisition of hormonal and cellular biomarker data in asymptomatic women, and thereby the possibility of developing a unified vision of how the hormonal environment of the breast may interact with the cellular expression of proteins, and with other evolving candidate markers of breast cancer risk. The purpose of this review is to integrate available information regarding cellular and breast fluid biomarkers of hormone action on the breast, to identify candidate biomarkers for studies of breast cancer risk and prevention. These include the estrogen receptors α andβ, markers of proliferative and apoptotic response, and protein markers of estrogen action in breast cells and nipple fluid. Studies of breast hormone levels in nipple aspiration fluid (NAF) show that estrone sulphate is present in large quantities in the normal breast, while the differences in serum ovarian steroids that are seen in pre- and postmenopausal women are blunted in NAF. The variability of several estradiol precursors in NAF over time is relatively small, a useful attribute of potential biomarkers of breast cancer risk, particularly if they are reversible with intervention in Phase 2 prevention trials. These studies are already providing new insights into the hormonal etiology of breast cancer, and should lead to the identification of robust, reversible biomarkers for use in breast cancer prevention studies.

scholarly journals DNA Methylation and Breast Cancer Risk: An Epigenome-Wide Study of Normal Breast Tissue and Blood

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaoutar Ennour-Idrissi ◽  
Dzevka Dragic ◽  
Elissar Issa ◽  
Annick Michaud ◽  
Sue-Ling Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Breast Cancer Risk ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Breast Tissue ◽  
Normal Breast Tissue ◽  
Normal Breast ◽  
Breast Epithelium ◽  
Normal Breast Epithelium ◽  
Differentially Methylated Genes

Differential DNA methylation is a potential marker of breast cancer risk. Few studies have investigated DNA methylation changes in normal breast tissue and were largely confounded by cancer field effects. To detect methylation changes in normal breast epithelium that are causally associated with breast cancer occurrence, we used a nested case–control study design based on a prospective cohort of patients diagnosed with a primary invasive hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Twenty patients diagnosed with a contralateral breast cancer (CBC) were matched (1:1) with 20 patients who did not develop a CBC on relevant risk factors. Differentially methylated Cytosine-phosphate-Guanines (CpGs) and regions in normal breast epithelium were identified using an epigenome-wide DNA methylation assay and robust linear regressions. Analyses were replicated in two independent sets of normal breast tissue and blood. We identified 7315 CpGs (FDR < 0.05), 52 passing strict Bonferroni correction (p < 1.22 × 10−7) and 43 mapping to known genes involved in metabolic diseases with significant enrichment (p < 0.01) of pathways involving fatty acids metabolic processes. Four differentially methylated genes were detected in both site-specific and regions analyses (LHX2, TFAP2B, JAKMIP1, SEPT9), and three genes overlapped all three datasets (POM121L2, KCNQ1, CLEC4C). Once validated, the seven differentially methylated genes distinguishing women who developed and who did not develop a sporadic breast cancer could be used to enhance breast cancer risk-stratification, and allow implementation of targeted screening and preventive strategies that would ultimately improve breast cancer prognosis.

scholarly journals Progesterone and Breast Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 320-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Britton Trabert ◽  
Mark E Sherman ◽  
Nagarajan Kannan ◽  
Frank Z Stanczyk
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Cancer Risk ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Normal Breast ◽  
Cancer Etiology ◽  
Progesterone Metabolites ◽  
Breast Physiology ◽  
Independent Effects ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Synthetic progestogens (progestins) have been linked to increased breast cancer risk; however, the role of endogenous progesterone in breast physiology and carcinogenesis is less clearly defined. Mechanistic studies using cell culture, tissue culture, and preclinical models implicate progesterone in breast carcinogenesis. In contrast, limited epidemiologic data generally do not show an association of circulating progesterone levels with risk, and it is unclear whether this reflects methodologic limitations or a truly null relationship. Challenges related to defining the role of progesterone in breast physiology and neoplasia include: complex interactions with estrogens and other hormones (eg, androgens, prolactin, etc.), accounting for timing of blood collections for hormone measurements among cycling women, and limitations of assays to measure progesterone metabolites in blood and progesterone receptor isotypes (PRs) in tissues. Separating the individual effects of estrogens and progesterone is further complicated by the partial dependence of PR transcription on estrogen receptor (ER)α-mediated transcriptional events; indeed, interpreting the integrated interaction of the hormones may be more essential than isolating independent effects. Further, many of the actions of both estrogens and progesterone, particularly in “normal” breast tissues, are driven by paracrine mechanisms in which ligand binding to receptor-positive cells evokes secretion of factors that influence cell division of neighboring receptor-negative cells. Accordingly, blood and tissue levels may differ, and the latter are challenging to measure. Given conflicting data related to the potential role of progesterone in breast cancer etiology and interest in blocking progesterone action to prevent or treat breast cancer, we provide a review of the evidence that links progesterone to breast cancer risk and suggest future directions for filling current gaps in our knowledge.

Cell-based breast cancer risk stratification based on DNA methylation in fine needle aspiration samples

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1508-1508
Author(s):  
D. Euhus ◽  
D. Bu ◽  
S. Milchgrub ◽  
A. M. Leitch ◽  
C. M. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Breast Cancer Risk ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Breast Tissue ◽  
Needle Aspiration ◽  
Gail Model ◽  
Rassf1a Methylation ◽  
Risk Patients

1508 Background: Tumor suppressor gene (TSG) methylation is identified in nearly all breast cancers, but rarely in histologically normal breast tissue from wonen unaffected with breast cancer. Its occurrence in high risk preneoplasia and in benign breast tissue adjacent to breast cancer suggests that it may represent a high risk field change that could be exploited for cell-based breast cancer risk stratification. Methods: TSG methylation was measured by quantitative methylation-specific real time PCR in 53 breast tumor fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies, 84 cellular random periareolar FNAs (RP-FNA) ipsilateral or contralateral to these cancers, 36 cellular RP- FNAs from unaffected women at high risk for breast cancer by the Gail model, and 95 cellular RP-FNAs from unaffected women at lower risk by the Gail model. Results: The breast tumors showed a high frequency of TSG methylation: RASSF1A 80%, HIN-1 65%, Cyclin D2 60%, RAR-β2 53%, and APC 47%. In general, RP-FNA samples from cancer patients and Gail high risk patients showed a greater frequency of methylation than samples from Gail lower risk patients: RASSF1A 43% vs. 21%, P = 0.001, HIN-1 32% vs. 20%, P = 0.05; Cyclin D2 18% vs. 9%, P = 0.10; RAR-β2 21% vs. 18%, P = 0.68; and APC 25% vs. 16%, P = 0.17. Twelve of 215 RP-FNA samples (5%) showed very high levels of methylation (>10% methylation for two or more genes). Only two of these samples were from women classified as lower risk by the Gail model. Methylation frequencies were entirely independent of cell yields but the frequency of RASSF1A methylation increased with increasing Masood scores (P = 0.05). Methylation of RASSF1A in one breast was highly predictive of RASSF1A methylation in the opposite breast (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: TSG methylation appears to be a breast cancer risk-associated field change that can be quantified in RP-FNA samples. RASSF1A methylation occurs frequently in benign breast epithelium, provides reasonable discrimination between high and lower risk breasts (O.R. = 2.0), is related to cytological atypia, and may be an early marker of a methylator phenotype. Quantification of TSG methylation in RP-FNA samples may provide a valuable surrogate endpoint biomarker for Phase II prevention trials. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

The feasibility of nipple aspiration and duct lavage to evaluate the breast duct epithelium of women with increased breast cancer risk

2013 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Twelves ◽  
Ashutosh Nerurkar ◽  
Peter Osin ◽  
Ann Ward ◽  
Clare M. Isacke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Cancer Risk ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Nipple Aspiration ◽  
Duct Epithelium ◽  
Duct Lavage

Normal Breast Physiology: The Reasons Hormonal Contraceptives and Induced Abortion Increase Breast-Cancer Risk

2009 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 236-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Lanfranchi
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Cancer Risk ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Breast Tissue ◽  
Induced Abortion ◽  
Normal Breast ◽  
Increase Breast Cancer Risk ◽  
Hormonal Contraceptives ◽  
Proliferative Effect ◽  
Breast Physiology

A woman gains protection from breast cancer by completing a full-term pregnancy. In utero, her offspring produce hormones that mature 85 percent of the mother's breast tissue into cancer-resistant breast tissue. If the pregnancy ends through an induced abortion or a premature birth before thirty-two weeks, the mother's breasts will have only partially matured, retaining even more cancer-susceptible breast tissue than when the pregnancy began. This increased amount of immature breast tissue will leave the mother with more sites for cancer initiation, thereby increasing her risk of breast cancer. Hormonal contraceptives increase breast-cancer risk by their proliferative effect on breast tissue and their direct carcinogenic effects on DNA. Hormonal contraceptives include estrogen-progestin combination drugs prescribed in any manner of delivery: orally, transdermally, vaginally, or intrauterine. This article provides the detailed physiology and data that elucidate the mechanisms through which induced abortion and hormonal contraceptives increase breast-cancer risk.

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