title: Prolactin and cancer: Has the orphan finally found a home?
abstract: Prolactin has, for long, been associated with galactorrhea and infertility in women while its role in men is largely unknown. Recently, expression of prolactin in various other tissues like the breast, prostate, decidua, and the brain has been recognized. This has led to evaluation of paracrine and autocrine actions of prolactin at these tissues and a possible role in development of various cancers. Increased expression of PRL receptors has also been implicated in carcinogenesis. Breast cancer has the strongest association with increased prolactin and prolactin receptor levels. Prostate cancer also has reported significant association, while the role of prolactin in colorectal, gynecological, laryngeal, and hepatocellular cancers is more tenuous. Prolactin/prolactin receptor pathway has also been implicated in development of resistance to chemotherapy. Thus, the effects of this pathway in carcinogenesis seem widespread. At the same time, they also offer an exciting new approach to hormonal manipulation of cancers, especially the treatment-resistant cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Care Hospitals, Banjara Hills, Road Number 1, Hyderabad - 500 034, Andhra, Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Bipin Kumar
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sethi
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Chanukya
authors.forename: V Sri
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Nagesh
keywords: Prolactin; cancer; carcinogenesis
references.citation: Eur J Endocrinol. 2011 Aug;165(2):209-15
references.pmid: 21602317
references.citation: Dis Colon Rectum. 2001 Jan;44(1):119-27
references.pmid: 11805572
references.citation: Exp Ther Med. 2012 Apr;3(4):603-607
references.pmid: 22969936
references.citation: Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp. 1955 Apr;96(4):154-63
references.pmid: 14364007
references.citation: Clin Cancer Res. 1999 Nov;5(11):3583-93
references.pmid: 10589775
references.citation: J Biol Chem. 2006 Jul 7;281(27):18825-36
references.pmid: 16651265
references.citation: BMC Cancer. 2004 Dec 23;4:97
references.pmid: 15617576
references.citation: Breast Cancer Res. 2008;10(4):R68
references.pmid: 18681966
references.citation: J Endocrinol. 2010 Jul;206(1):1-11
references.pmid: 20371569
references.citation: Cancer Res. 2009 Jun 15;69(12):5226-33
references.pmid: 19491263
references.citation: Endocrinology. 1997 Dec;138(12):5555-60
references.pmid: 9389544
references.citation: World J Surg. 2012 May;36(5):1128-35
references.pmid: 22392353
references.citation: Cancer Res. 2009 Apr 1;69(7):3165-72
references.pmid: 19276348
references.citation: Br J Cancer. 2004 Jul 19;91(2):305-11
references.pmid: 15213724
references.citation: Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2011 Jul;128(1):31-40
references.pmid: 20658264