title: The role of adrenergic signaling in breast cancer biology.
abstract: Adrenergic signaling results from the effects of the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine, on alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors. In breast cancer, preclinical models suggest that this pathway may influence breast cancer progression through 1) increasing tumor cell survival after exposure to chemotherapeutic agents; 2) increasing breast cancer cell proliferation; and 3) altering the tumor microenvironment in angiogenesis and the inflammatory response. Epidemiologic data have suggested a correlation between drugs that indirectly affect the adrenergic pathway and breast cancer incidence. In addition, there is retrospective evidence suggesting that the use of β-adrenergic blockers in early stage breast cancer patients correlates with an increased time to recurrence. Here we review evidence from both pre-clinical models and epidemiological studies that have examined the question of whether adrenergic signaling may modify breast cancer biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Elias I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Obeid
authors.forename: Suzanne D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Conzen
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta