Endocrine Abstracts

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of hormone receptor positive breast cancer after menopause. The aromatase enzyme catalyzes the conversion of androgens into oestrogens and the breast adipose-specific expression of aromatase is hypothesized to be a major driver of breast cancer growth when ovarian oestrogen biosynthesis has ceased. We have found that aromatase is elevated in breast adipose stromal cells in relation to obesity and menopausal status. Furthermore, obes...

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...

Introduction: While a great degree of focus has recently been placed on identifying novel steroidogenic pathways that are active in cancer development (e.g. Androgen metabolism and Androgen Receptor (AR) Signalling, Glucocorticoid Metabolism and Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signalling) very few studies have examined these pathways in normal breast samples taken under non-pathological conditions. Furthermore, very few studies have examined the steroid levels in non-pathological...