Relationship between plasma progesterone, estradiol and prolactin concentrations and breast cancer in pre and postmenopausal women
Abstract:
Hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and prolactin are implicated in a number of ways as possible causes of breast cancer. Throughout women life cycle, breast development and function depend on complex critical interplay of these hormones. The acknowledged gaps in our understanding concerning progesterone, estrogen and prolactin hormones involvement in human breast cancer has exposed the need to conduct this study for better understanding of the role played by these hormones in breast cancer during pre and post menopause status in order to influence prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Ninety women were enrolled, (80%) of them were breast cancer patients and the other (20%) were breast benign lesion patients. At attending King Hussein Medical Center, blood samples were collected and analyzed for plasma estradiol, prolactin and progesterone. Of the 72 breast cancer patients (66.6% and 33.4%), and of the 18 breast benign patients (27.8% and 72.2%) were in menopause and premenopausal, respectively. Of the breast cancer and benign patients groups, 55.6% of each had an association with either high plasma estradiol, prolactin or progesterone concentrations. Of the breast cancer patients that had association with high plasma hormonal concentrations, 47.5% had high plasma estradiol concentrations (155.0±36 pg/ml) and 89.5% of these were in menopause. Of the breast benign patients, 60% had high plasma prolactin concentrations (55.2±10.6 ng/ml). Menopausal breast cancer is associated with high plasma estradiol concentrations, while premenopausal breast benign were associated high plasma prolactin concentrations which indicate that high plasma estradiol in menopause is a risk factor for breast cancer development while high prolactin in premenopausal is a risk factor for breast benign. Therefore, breast cancer and benign are highly hormonal dependent.