Title:Hormone Responsive Breast Cancer and BRCA1 Mutation: Mechanism, Regulation and Iron-mediated Effects
Volume: 15
Issue: 12
Author(s): Abdulrazzaq N. Zghair, Rohit Sharma and Anil K. Sharma
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Breast cancer, estrogen, hormone, iron chelation, metabolism.
Abstract: Breast cancer is a prominent cause of mortality in women worldwide, with about 2/3rd cases linked to hormone
mediated malignancy itself. A hormone receptor positive breast cancer represents cells showing rigorous proliferation
upon hormonal exposure. BRCA1 is the predominant marker gene responsible for estrogen regulation. However increased
exposure to estrogen is not the sole cause for this abnormality as there is no significant alteration reported in breast tissue
estrogen levels. Iron metabolism has also been shown to be frequently altered in breast cancer with considerably higher
iron in post menstrual women. In fact estrogen and iron have been implicated to exert synergistic effects on cellular proliferation
in BRCA1 linked hormone responsive breast cancer. Thus establishing a link between estrogen and iron metabolism
has a great prognostic value in predicting clinical outcome in BRCA1 linked hormone responsive breast cancer patients.
Since the time immemorial Iron chelators have been implicated in combating iron dysregulation especially in breast
cancer. We summarize here in this review the recent advancements in the area of iron chelation therapy delineating the
role of iron in hormone receptor positive Breast cancer.
