One in every eight women will develop invasive breast cancer. Recently, breast cancer has been a hot topic in research. There have been studies reporting that estrogen and iron may play a role in the fight against the cancer.

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Albert (Dong Han) Kim

Red Class

December 20, 2011

Dupont Essay

Title: Estrogen and Iron: A Cure for Breast Cancer?

One in every eight women will develop invasive breast cancer. Recently, breast cancer has been a hot topic in research. There have been studies reporting that estrogen and iron may play a role in the fight against the cancer. Estrogen and iron are two important growth factors in a female's body development. Estrogen influences the growth, differentiation, and function of tissues of the female reproductive system (Zhu et al, 1998). Iron is essential for oxygen transport, DNA synthesis, and energy metabolism (Ganz, 2008). Estrogen and family history are well-established risk factors for breast cancer (BC) (Clemons et al, 2001). However, estrogen cannot fully explain why young women diagnosed with BC are more likely to have a higher risk of recurrence and mortality than their older counterparts (Klauber-DeMore et al, 2005). Paradoxically, when overall systemic estrogen levels are decreased, BC incidence rate is higher in post-menopausal women than in premenopausal women (Benz, 2008).

It has been investigated whether an imbalance in iron levels could account for some important BC features, which are