Is there a special role for ovarian hormones in the pathogenesis of lobular carcinoma?

Endocrinology. 2024 Mar 29:bqae031. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqae031. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTLobular carcinoma represent the most common special histological subtype of breast cancer, with the majority classed as hormone receptor-positive. Rates of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) in postmenopausal women have been seen to increase globally, whilst other hormone receptor-positive breast cancers proportionally have not followed the same trend. This has been linked to exposure to exogenous ovarian hormones such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Reproductive factors resulting in increased lifetime exposure to endogenous ovarian hormones have also been linked to an increased risk of lobular breast cancer, and taken together, these data make a case for the role of ovarian hormones in the genesis and progression of the disease. In this review, we summarise current understanding of the epidemiological associations between ovarian hormones and lobular breast cancer and highlight mechanistic links that may underpin the aetiology and biology.PMID:38551031 | DOI:10.1210/endocr/bqae031
Source: Endocrinology - Category: Endocrinology Authors: Source Type: research