Breast cancer and the molecular mechanism of estrogen signaling

Abstract

Cancer is a complex pathology that occurs due to the uncontrolled proliferation and growth of cells in any organ or tissue of the body. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Breast cancer is a pathology that exhibits heterogeneity in which genetic and environmental risk factors play a role. Although many treatment approaches have been developed for breast cancer today, the frequency of the number of patients diagnosed with breast cancer and lost their lives due to this reason is increasing in the world. The most significant limitation to the success of the treatment approaches developing drug resistance in breast cancer cells, and the disease relapses after a certain period and exhibits a more aggressive profile. Therefore, understanding the molecular biology of breast cancer is essential for developing potent therapeutic approaches. It is known that the development of breast cancer is related to changes in direct and indirect signaling mechanisms mediated by estrogen and estrogen receptor. These signaling mechanisms exhibit highly complex interaction patterns. This review summarizes the pathology of breast cancer, estrogenic compounds, estrogen receptors, genomic and non-genomic molecular signaling mechanisms mediated by estrogen and estrogen receptor.