Several risk factors for breast cancers are widely accepted; all share the common belief that prolonged and unopposed exposure to estrogens has a growth-promoting effect. Reproductive characteristics that contribute to increased cancer incidence are, for all practical purposes, unmodifiable and therefore unpreventable. The only chance to intervene successfully lies in the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and their alteration. At this time, the most promising approaches are a permanent change of the hormonal milieu and/or molecular alterations in the breast tissue itself. With the modest exception of antiestrogens as estrogen receptor modulators, there is very little success to report. Recent results collated from large numbers of women indicate novel avenues of research into correlations between placental abnormalities and reduced risk for breast cancer.
Go to Previous Page
Go to Next Page