US Pharm. 2011;36(3)(Oncology suppl):9.
Researchers at CIC bioGUNE (Bilbao Area, Spain) have found that estrogen can reduce the number of breast cancer stem cells, which may explain the lower aggression of the tumor and, as a consequence, result in a more positive outcome. The research used human samples as well as laboratory cell lines.
The results of the research, published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, also point to the existence of a new functional aspect of estrogen owing to its capacity to act differently depending on cellular types. Lead study researcher Maria Vivanco believes the study has “set out the molecular basis for understanding the direct effect of estrogen on the proportion of stem cells, whether in healthy or cancerous tissue and the fact that estrogen receptor is an excellent prognostic marker.”
