Breast Cancer Prevention Research Articles

Estrogen Regulated Genes Compel Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells, Whilst Stimulate Antitumor Activity in Peritumoral Immune Cells in a Janus-Faced Manner.

Background: Breast cancer incidence and mortality exhibit a rising trend globally among both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, suggesting that there are serious errors in our preventive and therapeutic measures. Purpose: Providing a series of valuable, but misunderstood inventions highlighting the role of increasing estrogen signaling in prevention and therapy of breast cancer instead of its inhibition. Results: 1. Breast cells and breast cancer cells with germline BRCA1/2 mutations similarly show defects in liganded estrogen receptor (ER) signaling, demonstrating its role in genomic instability and cancer initiation. 2. In breast tumors, the increased expression of special receptor family maybe an effort for self-directed improvement of genomic defects, while the weakness or loss of receptors indicates a defect requiring medical repair. 3. ER overexpression in breast cancer cells is capable of strengthening estrogen signaling and DNA repair, while in ER negative tumors, HER2 overexpression tries to upregulate unliganded ER activation and genome stabilization. 4. ER-positive breast cancers responsive to endocrine therapy may show a compensatory ER overexpression resulting in a transient tumor response. Breast cancers non-responsive to antiestrogen treatment exhibit HER2-overexpression for compensating the complete inhibition of hormonal ER activation. 5. In breast tumors, somatic mutations serve upregulation of ER activation via liganded or unliganded pathway helping genome stabilization and apoptotic death. 6. The mutual communication between breast cancer and its inflammatory environment is a wonderful partnership among cells fighting for genome stabilization and apoptotic death of tumor. 7. In breast cancers, there is no resistance to genotoxic or immune blocker therapies, but rather, the nonresponsive tumor cells exhaust all compensatory possibilities against therapeutic damages. Conclusions: Understanding the behavior and ambition of breast cancer cells may achieve a turn in therapy via applying supportive care instead of genotoxic measures.

Cancer screening uptake by women from India's largest state Uttar Pradesh: district-wise analysis from the fifth round of National Family Health Survey (2019-2021).

The Government of India (GOI) has launched a nationwide cervical, breast and oral cancer prevention and control program. However, the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), a nationwide survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), GOI, has shown concerning results on screening uptake by both men and women across India. This study was conducted to describe the uptake of cancer screening by women residing in Uttar Pradesh (UP), the largest state of India. We analyzed NFHS-5 data available in public domain to determine the number of women (aged 30-49 years) participating in cancer screening across the 71 districts in UP state. We utilized population projections for the year 2021 provided by the population projections for India and states for calculating the number of women. The district-wise estimation was done using a projection of district-level annual population. Although the GOI has made screening available for common cancers, NFHS-5 results indicated that the screening uptake among women aged 30-49 years is a cause for concern. The data revealed less than 1% of women underwent screening, and some of the districts showed no screening uptake. GOI has laid down a framework for cancer screening; however, poor participation among women calls for research to understand the barriers to cancer screening and to develop interventions to address these barriers.

Ethanol extract of black shallot (Allium ascalonicum Linnaeus) for breast cancer prevention: evidence from a DMBA-induced mouse model

Ethanol extract of black shallot (Allium ascalonicum Linnaeus) for breast cancer prevention: evidence from a DMBA-induced mouse model

Combined influence of nutritional and inflammatory status and breast cancer: findings from the NHANES

BackgroundPrevious studies have hinted at the benefits of following an anti-inflammatory diet for potentially reducing breast cancer prevalence. However, the combined influence of diet and inflammation on breast cancer remains unclear.MethodsThe advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) was used to assess inflammation and nutritional status. Statistical methods, such as multivariable logistic regression, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model, and subgroup analysis, were employed to analyze the impact of ALI on prevalence of BC. Additionally, a two-piece-wise logistic regression model with smoothing was used to determine the ALI threshold for BC prevalence. The study aimed to understand the mechanistic association between ALI levels and BC development.ResultsThe mean (SD) age of the study population was 50.0 (17.7) years, with 40.0% of individuals classified as obese. Comparing ALI tertiles to the lowest tertile, the odds ratios (95% CI) for breast cancer (BC) were 0.78 (0.62, 0.98) and 0.68 (0.52, 0.87) for T2-T3. The XGBoost machine learning model was employed to assess the importance of selected factors, revealing ALI as one of the top five variables influencing BC. Subgroup analysis identified a correlation between ALI, alcohol consumption, and menopausal status. Additionally, ALI levels were associated with decreased estradiol (E2) levels, increased total testosterone (TT)/E2 ratio, and TT/sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) ratio.ConclusionThis study indicates a potential protective effect of ALI levels against breast cancer, possibly related to sex hormone disruption. The findings support the use of optimal therapeutic strategies for preventing breast cancer.

Natural glyceollin soybean extracts elicited with Aspergillus sojae reduce estrogen-dependent breast cancer growth in orally fed mice.

Previous studies have demonstrated antiestrogenic and antiproliferative effects of these molecules in breast cancer cells. Notably, we have reported that pure synthetic glyceollins I and II act through various pathways, including ERα, FOXM1, AhR, and HIF pathways to inhibit cell proliferation and migration. In this study, the potential antitumor activity of glyceollins enriched in crude soybean extracts, obtained by solid fermentation with Aspergillus sojae, was investigated in vivo on MCF-7 breast cancer cells implanted in the chorioallantoic membrane of the chick egg and on ovariectomized nude mice. The first trial showed a substantial reduction in the migration of MCF-7 cells treated with the natural extracts. However, the natural extracts significantly reduced the estrogen-dependent growth of transplanted tumors in orally fed nude mice. Our results showed that natural soybean extracts slightly but significantly reduced estrogen-dependent growth of the transplanted tumors in orally fed nude mice. These results were confirmed by immunohistochemistry of Ki-67 and histone H3S10 phosphorylation (H3S10P), revealing lower expression of these proliferation markers in the transplanted tumors from mice fed with the fermented extracts. Additionally, compared to the control animals, we observed a lower expression of angiogenesis markers such as CD31 and CD34. Surprisingly, transcriptomic analysis of RNA from transplanted MCF-7 cells revealed no differential gene expression. These results may suggest that orally consumed natural glyceollins exert biological effects throughout the body, acting indirectly to reduce tumor angiogenesis and consequently tumor volume. Overall, our results indicate that glyceollins, elicited components of the soy origin, hold potential therapeutic applications for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Health Promotion Management in the Context of Breast Cancer Prevention Using the SADARI and CERDIK Methods at Al Ihsan Regional General Hospital, West Java Province

This study aims to determine the systematics of Health Promotion Management in Hospitals on the effectiveness of the performance of Hospital Health Promotion Services. By conducting studies, planning, implementation and evaluation as well as monitoring to measure the success of PKRS activities in accordance with the rules of the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number 44 of 2018 concerning the Implementation of Hospital Health Promotion (PKRS). The research method used is Qualitative Descriptive with the data collection used is making questionnaires, and observations because they have close relevance to the problem. The results after collecting 20 respondents using the Pre Test revealed that the average score was 5.6 out of 100, which can be concluded that the knowledge of the hospital community is still minimal about the awareness of maintaining health with the Cerdik method and early examination of SADARI. After counseling and counseling activities with the same 20 respondents, it was seen that the increase in the number of community knowledge with an average score of 8.7 out of 100 was seen. The findings of this study show that the hospital health promotion management system has an impact on the effectiveness of educational services at Al Ihsan Hospital, West Java Province.

Nutrition Intervention and Microbiome Modulation in the Management of Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. The escalating incidence of BC underscores the necessity of multi-level treatment. BC is a complex and heterogeneous disease involving many genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Growing evidence suggests that nutrition intervention is an evolving effective prevention and treatment strategy for BC. In addition, the human microbiota, particularly the gut microbiota, is now widely recognized as a significant player contributing to health or disease status. It is also associated with the risk and development of BC. This review will focus on nutrition intervention in BC, including dietary patterns, bioactive compounds, and nutrients that affect BC prevention and therapeutic responses in both animal and human studies. Additionally, this paper examines the impacts of these nutrition interventions on modulating the composition and functionality of the gut microbiome, highlighting the microbiome-mediated mechanisms in BC. The combination treatment of nutrition factors and microbes is also discussed. Insights from this review paper emphasize the necessity of comprehensive BC management that focuses on the nutrition-microbiome axis.

Community pharmacists’ role in prevention of breast cancer — is it possible?

Community pharmacists’ role in prevention of breast cancer — is it possible?

Comprehensive breast cancer risk analysis with whole exome sequencing and the prevalence of BRCA1 and ABCG2 mutations and oncogenic HPV.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and also the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. A comprehensive understanding of breast cancer risk factors and their incidences is useful information for breast cancer prevention and control planning. The present study aimed to provide information on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variations (CNVs) in breast cancer, the allele frequency of two SNPs in breast cancer-related genes BRCA1 DNA repair associated (BRCA1; rs799917) and ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2; rs2231142), and the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in a normal population living in Phayao Province, Northern Thailand. One breast cancer and 10 healthy samples were investigated by whole exome sequencing (WES) and compared for genetic variation. The WES data contained SNPs in genes previously implicated in breast cancer and provided data on CNVs. The allele frequencies for SNPs rs799917 and rs2231142 were also examined. The SNP genotype frequencies were 35.88% CC, 46.54% CT, and 17.58% TT for rs799917 and 33.20% CC, 46.88% CA, and 19.92% AA for rs2231142. A total of 825 human whole blood samples were examined for HPV infection by PCR, and the pooled DNA was tested for HPV infection using metagenomic sequencing. No HPV infections were detected among all 825 samples or the pooled blood samples. The incidence of breast cancer among the tested samples was estimated based on acceptable breast cancer risk factors and demographic data and was 1.47%. The present study provided data on SNPs and CNVs in breast cancer-related genes. The associations between SNPs rs2231142 and rs799917 and breast cancer should be further investigated in a case-control study since heterozygous and homozygous variants are more common. Based on the detection of HPV infection in the blood samples, HPV may not be associated with breast cancer, at least in the Northern Thai population.

Coconut Milk Consumption and Breast Cancer Risk in Thai Women: A Case-Control Study

Coconut milk contains plant-based saturated fat and phytochemicals with antioxidant activities. However, its role in breast cancer risk remains unclear. A case-control study was conducted on 244 participants to study the association. The Case group includes 61 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients receiving < 6 months of therapies. The Control group includes 183 healthy people with matched characteristics. A new questionnaire was developed, validated, and used in this study to estimate the frequency of coconut milk-containing food intake. Results show that the questionnaire has satisfactory content validity, test-retest reliability, and criterion-related validity. From the case-control study, either consuming 1–3 or 4–6 times/week of coconut-milk-containing curry or consuming 4–6 times/week of coconut milk-topped desserts are associated with increased risk of breast cancer (OR = 5.23, 5.6, and 2.6 respectively, p < 0.01). Consuming less than half of coconut milk liquid in desserts correlated with a reduced risk (OR = 0.43, p < 0.05). The findings suggest that moderate (less than half of a serving) and infrequent (less than once a week) consumption of coconut milk may be beneficial for breast cancer prevention. A larger scale study is warranted to confirm the findings and provide evidence for dietary recommendations.

Correlation Between Female Junior High School Students Knowledge And BSE Behaviour

Introduction: Breast cancer often presents as a painless lump and can develop, invade surrounding breast tissue, and spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs in the body. The high mortality rate of breast cancer is due to a lack of knowledge about the disease and the importance of early detection, leading to many patients seeking medical help at a late stage. According to Globocan data from 2020, teenage cancer patients in Indonesia rank 3rd in Asia. The government recommends Breast Self-Examination (BSE) as the most effective screening method. BSE is very easy to perform, yet many teenagers are unaware of this method. Objective: The review is to summarize the correlation between students knowledge and BSE Behaviour. Method: The study used a descriptive quantitative design with a cross-sectional approach and a simple random sampling technique. The sample size was 141 students, and the chi-square statistical test was used for analysis. Result: The majority, 91.5%, of Ananda Junior High School students had never performed BSE and had poor knowledge about the pathophysiology of breast cancer (93.6%) and breast cancer prevention (83.7%). A p-value of 0.000 (p &lt; 0.05) was obtained, indicating a significant correlation between knowledge about the pathophysiology and prevention of breast cancer and BSE behavior. Conclussion: The proportion of Ananda Bekasi Junior High School students who engage in BSE behavior is very low (8.5%). Most respondents had poor knowledge about the pathophysiology of breast cancer (93.6%) and breast cancer prevention (83.7%).

A Study to Assess the Knowledge Regarding Self Breast Examination on Prevention of Breast Cancer among Women Attending Urban Health Center, Virugambakkam, Chennai

A Study to Assess the Knowledge Regarding Self Breast Examination on Prevention of Breast Cancer among Women Attending Urban Health Center, Virugambakkam, Chennai

What Do Breast Cancer Previvors Tell Us About Their Stories? To Know or Not to Know?

This study aimed to explore the (1) experiences of breast cancer previvor women during genetic testing; (2) perceptions of the impact of genetic testing on their personal, social, family, and professional lives; and (3) views on breast cancer prevention and follow-up processes. This study focused on the risk of breast cancer in persons with BRCA mutations. Data were collected through individual in-depth semistructured interviews. The data were analyzed using the MAXQDA program based on the method suggested by Graneheim and Lundman. This study was conducted in Istanbul, Turkey, and included 17 participants. Five themes emerged from the data analysis-Acquaintance with BRCA, Living with BRCA, Managing the Legacy, Maternalism, and We Are Here, including a total of 12 categories. The previvors had negative experiences during genetic testing, mainly owing to a lack of information, stigma, and women's roles in society. A structured and individualized process for genetic counseling was identified as the main requirement. National and international policies on breast cancer previvors should be developed to prevent breast cancer and reduce mortality. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach during genetic counseling will favorably contribute to previvors' medical and psychosocial well-being. Follow-up programs before and after genetic testing should be created. Society's cultural and genetic literacy levels should be evaluated, and activities should be planned to raise social awareness.

Preventive Paradox? Postoperative Outcomes After Risk-Reducing Mastectomy and Direct-to-Implant Breast Reconstruction

BackgroundRisk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) with direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction is becoming increasingly important in breast cancer prevention. While the oncological benefits of RRM-DTI are well documented, there is a paucity of studies investigating its perioperative safety. MethodsThe ACS-NSQIP database (2008-2022) was queried to identify all patients who underwent RRM-DTI. Outcomes of interest included 30-day occurrence of reoperation, readmission, and surgical and medical complications. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with postoperative complications. ResultsA total of 1019 patients were included, with a mean age and BMI of 42.8 ± 10.9 years and 25.7 ± 5.8 kg/m², respectively. Complications occurred in 142 (14.0%) cases, with 103 (10.1%) reoperations and 51 (5.0%) readmissions. 62 (6.3%) surgical complications were recorded, the majority of which were superficial incisional infection (n = 19; 1.9%) and organ space infections (n = 19; 1.9%). Medical complications were rare (n = 13; 1.3%). Multivariable analyses revealed that higher BMI was significantly associated with any (OR:1.06, P < .0001), surgical (OR:1.08, P < .0001), and medical complications (OR:1.08, P = .04). Patients with bleeding disorders were at a significantly higher risk of any complications (OR:5.5, P = .03), while outpatient setting (OR:1.9, P = .03) and corticosteroid use (OR:6.6, P = .01) were identified as independent predictors of surgical complications. ConclusionThe risk of adverse events following RRM-DTI should not be underestimated, with a 30-day complication rate of 14%. Higher BMI, bleeding disorders, outpatient setting, and corticosteroid use were identified as risk factors. These findings underscore the need for thorough preoperative risk stratification, patient counseling, and health optimization to optimize surgical outcomes.

Age-Stratified Assessment of the Impact of Breast Cancer Knowledge on the Lifestyle and Dietary Patterns Among Nigerian Females.

Breast cancer (BC) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality in Nigeria, which is exacerbated by a lack of understanding of how knowledge of BC risk factors influences the lifestyle and dietary patterns of Nigerians across age groups. This study evaluated the influence of knowledge of BC risks on lifestyle and dietary patterns across age groups, aiming to inform early management, prevention, and survival rates. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Ota, Ado-odo, Ogun State, Nigeria, involving participants from six educational institutions. The study assessed knowledge of BC risks factors and lifestyle/dietary habits using questionnaires. Results were analyzed using Epi Info software and SPSS version 20. The participants' age ranged from 13 to 60 years, with a mean of 21 years. The age categories of the participants were 75.24% adolescents (13-19), 18.68% young adults (20-40), and 6.08% middle-aged (41-60). Middle-aged individuals had the least knowledge about smoking (7.58%), alcohol (26.09%), antibiotics (7.25%), and red meat/smoked foods (20.09%), which translated into their poor dietary/lifestyle patterns. Young adults showed profound physical inactivity (71.00%), while adolescents consumed more carbonated drinks (71.53%), which corresponded to lack of knowledge about the effects of physical inactivity (10.85%) and consumption of carbonated drinks (13.70%) on BC risk. The study found that understanding BC risk factors directly affects lifestyle and dietary patterns. Age groups with higher knowledge had better lifestyle/dietary patterns. This highlights the need for a tailored intervention on lifestyle and dietary education across all age groups, especially the middle-aged, so as to inform a deliberate adjustment in lifestyle and dietary habits, which play crucial roles in BC incidence, survival, and prevention.

Using polygenic risk modification to improve breast cancer prevention: study protocol for the PRiMo multicentre randomised controlled trial

IntroductionEstablished personal and familial risk factors contribute collectively to a woman’s risk of breast or ovarian cancer. Existing clinical services offer genetic testing for pathogenic variants in high-risk genes to...

T lymphocyte-derived IFN-γ facilitates breast cancer cells to pass the blood-brain barrier: An in vitro study corroborating translational data

The appearance of brain metastasis is the most serious complication of breast cancer with mostly fatal outcomes. To reach the brain, tumor cells need to pass the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The molecular mechanisms underlying penetration of the BBB are largely unknown. Previously we found that tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes enhance the development of brain metastasis of estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast cancer. In the current study, we investigate the contribution of T lymphocytes and the IFN-γ pathway in enabling breast cancer cells to pass the in vitro BBB. CD8+ cells display the strongest stimulatory effect on breast cancer cell passage. We show that inhibition of the IFN-γ receptor in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, or neutralization of soluble IFN-γ, impairs the in vitro trespassing of breast cancer cells. Importantly, we validated our findings using gene expression data of breast cancer patients. The CXCL-9,-10,-11/CXCR3 axis, dependent on IFN-γ signaling activity, was overexpressed in primary breast cancer samples of patients who developed brain metastasis. The data support a role for T-lymphocytes and the IFN-γ pathway in the formation of brain metastasis of ER-breast cancer, and offer targets to design future therapies for preventing breast cancer cells to cross the BBB.

Breast cancer screening and early detection programs in Iran: A health policy analysis and recommendations

AbstractScreening and early detection programs for breast cancer (BC) have significantly reduced mortality rates and enhanced survival rates globally. Breast cancer screening programs in low‐ and middle‐income countries like Iran need improvement. This study examines Iran's breast cancer screening and early detection (BCSED) policies, employing the Policy Triangle Model in two phases: a review of 27 documents including various related sources related of policies and strategies, followed by 20 semi‐structured interviews across four distinct levels: policy, regional, clinical, and community levels. Content analysis for documents and MAXQDA2020 software for the second phase were used, and findings integrated. In our analysis of 27 national documents and 20 interviews, we found 10 themes, 19 sub‐themes, and 42 specific codes across four dimensions of the mentioned framework. Main themes in the context dimension covered deficient interactions, deficiency in knowledge management, cultural challenges, and socioeconomic challenges. From the analysis of 27 national documents, we recognized service excellence schemes, personal health encouragement, and service levels. Policy formulation and monitoring and evaluation emerged as central themes for the process dimension, while stakeholder challenges were prominent in the actors' dimension. BCSED programs are multifactorial issues. Proposed strategies to address these issues include the dedicated funds for BC prevention programs, strengthening the Ministry of Health's stewardship role, elevating public awareness, and conducting systematic screening trials in select cities to provide valuable national evidence for future policymaking.

Physiological mechanisms of exercise related to prevention and treatment of breast cancer: A review

Background: Considering limitations related to intensity, duration, and mode of exercise and possible physiological mechanisms, this study aimed to summarize the physiological mechanisms emphasizing inflammation, angiogenesis, and immunology of different exercises related to prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Methods: In the current review study, different platforms were analyzed including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Research Gate as well as Iranian databases such as Scientific Information Database (SID) and Magiran. The data was reviewed until May 2024. Search keywords included “exercise", "sport”, “physical exercise”, “intensity, training”, “breast cancer”, “inflammation”, “angiogenesis”,” immunology”, and “physiological mechanisms”. Results: Among several proposed mechanisms, inflammation, immunity and angiogenesis have been mentioned as important indices but there are ambiguities regarding the influence of different intensities and durations of exercise on breast cancer prevention and treatment. Other effective factors such as the effect of exercise on gene regulation and some other mechanisms have been proposed as possible mediators. Conclusion: According to some previous studies, aerobic exercise induces positive effects on preventing and treating breast cancer through reducing inflammation, improving angiogenesis, and enhancing immunological mechanisms. Regarding duration and intensity, long term regular exercise (&gt;8 weeks), in the form of aerobic and especially high intensity interval training (HIIT) reduces inflammation. while the effect of short-term exercise training is not clear yet and high intensity exercise may induce suppressing effects on the immune system. Therefore, the effect of intensity and duration of exercise on physiological mechanisms must be clarified.

Role of Oncostatin M in Exercise-Induced Breast Cancer Prevention.

Moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity decreases the risk of breast cancer. The muscle-derived cytokine (myokine), oncostatin M (OSM), has been shown to decrease breast cancer cell proliferation. We hypothesized that OSM is involved in physical activity-induced breast cancer prevention, and that OSM antibody (Anti-OSM) administration would mitigate the effect of physical activity in a rat model of mammary carcinoma. Female Sprague Dawley rats were injected with 50 mg/kg N-methyl-N-nitrosourea to induce mammary carcinogenesis. During the 20-week study, rats were exercise trained (EX) or remained sedentary (SED). Additional groups were treated with Anti-OSM antibody (SED + Anti-OSM and EX + Anti-OSM) to explore the impact of OSM blockade on tumor latency. Exercise training consisted of treadmill acclimation and progressive increases in session duration, speed, and grade, until reaching 30 min/day, 20 m/min at 15% incline. Experimentally naïve, age-matched, female rats also completed an acute exercise test (AET) with time course blood draws to evaluate OSM plasma concentrations. Relative tumor-free survival time was significantly longer in EX animals (1.36 ± 0.39) compared to SED animals (1.00 ± 0.17; p = 0.009), SED + Anti-OSM animals (0.90 ± 0.23; p = 0.019), and EX + Anti-OSM animals (0.93 ± 0.74; p = 0.004). There were no significant differences in relative tumor latency between SED, SED + Anti-OSM, or EX + Anti-OSM animals. Following the AET, OSM plasma levels trended higher compared to baseline OSM levels (p = 0.080). In conclusion, we observed that exercise-induced delay of mammary tumor development was mitigated through Anti-OSM administration. Thus, future studies of the OSM mechanism are required to lay the groundwork for developing novel chemo-prevention strategies in women who are unable or unwilling to exercise.