Uncovering the True Power of Estrogen in Breast Cancer Development

Harvard Medical School researchers have identified the molecular trigger that initiates a cascade culminating in breast tumor development in a subset of breast cancers that are driven by estrogen. The study shows that estrogen is the culprit behind this molecular dysfunction because it directly alters a cell’s DNA. The findings suggest that estrogen-suppressing drugs such as tamoxifen may prevent estrogen from initiating cancer-causing genomic rearrangements in the cells, in addition to suppressing mammary cell proliferation.