title: Breast cancer and the importance of early life nutrition.
abstract: Epigenetic processes play a central role in regulating the tissue-specific expression of genes. Alterations in these processes can lead to profound changes in phenotype and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many human diseases including human cancer. There is growing evidence that the environment, particularly variations in diet, during specific developmental periods can induce changes in the epigenome, which are then stably maintained throughout life influencing susceptibility to cancer in later life. This chapter will review the evidence that alterations in early life nutritional exposure can affect breast cancer risk through the altered epigenetic regulation of genes and discuss how detection of such altered epigenetic marks in early life may provide biomarkers to detect individuals at increased risk of disease.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biological Sciences, Institute of Developmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK, kal@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lillycrop
authors.forename: Graham C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Burdge
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena