Endocrine Abstracts

Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in Australian women. Up to 70% of post-menopausal tumours are estrogen-receptor positive (ER+), dependent on estrogen for continued growth and proliferative advantage. Adjuvant anti-estrogen therapies are considered the cornerstone approach to the treatment of such tumours, and research is ongoing to maximize its effectiveness. The major source of estrogens for ER+ breast cancers is local conversion of androgen pr...

Estrogen excess is a major contributing factor to the development and progression of post-menopausal Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+) breast cancers. Increased activity of aromatase, the enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens, and upregulation of its encoding gene CYP19A1 is often observed in breast adipose fibroblasts (BAFs) surrounding ER+ tumours. Understanding the process by which CYP19A1 is regulated between normal and diseased breast stroma may help to improve outco...