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Estrogens in the breast tissue: a systematic review

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Abstract

The role of estrogens in breast carcinogenesis has been investigated at the level of whole body (plasma) and cell (molecular, receptors, etc.). Growing attention focused on the breast tissue being an intracrine organ, with potentially important local estrogen production in the breast. However, very little is known about the local breast tissue estrogen levels. Understanding the role of the tissue estrogens in breast carcinogenesis might open new avenues in breast cancer prevention. This systematic review summarizes published studies that measured local estrogen levels in the breast and offers suggestions for strategies to fill gaps in our existing scientific knowledge.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

CV:

Coefficient of variation

LPAT:

Laboratory of proteomics and analytical technologies

MS:

Mass spectrometry

NCI:

National Cancer Institute

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Graham Colditz is supported by ACS Clinical Research Professorship.

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Campus Box 8100, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Lusine Yaghjyan & Graham A. Colditz

  2. Institute for Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Graham A. Colditz

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  1. Lusine Yaghjyan
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  2. Graham A. Colditz
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Correspondence to Lusine Yaghjyan.

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Yaghjyan, L., Colditz, G.A. Estrogens in the breast tissue: a systematic review. Cancer Causes Control 22, 529–540 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9729-4

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