Endocrine Abstracts

After the menopausal transition, the ovaries cease to make oestrogens, yet the incidence of breast cancer increases with aging and the majority of these tumours are ER positive. So, where is the oestrogen driving this tumour development coming from? Several extra-gonadal sites synthesize oestrogens from circulating C19 steroids, such as bone, brain, and adipose. The largest of these depots is the adipose tissue, and increased BMI is associated with increased breast cancer risk...

E R Simpson, Prince Henry's Institute, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. AbstractDr Evan Simpson is a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. He has had a long interest in the basic biology of estrogen biosynthesis, especially its relationship to breast cancer.His group was the first to clone and characterize the aromatase gene and to show the unique use of tissue-specific promoters to regulate tissue-specif...