Hormone replacement therapy use dramatically increases breast oestrogen receptor expression in obese postmenopausal women.
BACKGROUND
It is known that use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by postmenopausal women increases the risk of breast cancer.


METHODS
In this study, oestrogen receptor (ER)-alpha expression is examined using standard immunoperoxidase technique.


RESULTS
Normal breast samples of 11 Australian postmenopausal women have been included in the ER-alpha study; the result showed a strong correlation (r(2) = 0.80) between ER-alpha expression in normal breast epithelial cells and body mass index (BMI) in normal women who currently use HRT.


CONCLUSIONS
This finding confirms that the possibility of increased risk of breast cancer associated with increased ER-alpha expression in normal breast epithelial cells, in turn associated with high BMI and the use of HRT.
Lawson
J S
JS
School of Health Services Management, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. james.lawson@unsw.edu.au
Field
A S
AS
Tran
D D
DD
Houssami
N
N
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity; D017698:Postmenopause; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*
D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen