Diet and Mammary Gland Carcinogenesis

摘要

The etiology of human breast cancer is largely unknown. However, there are three broad determinants of breast cancer risk. One determinant is heredity, such as carrying a germline mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Another is hormonal and reproductive factors. Women have a 180-fold higher risk of breast cancer than men, and among women, the age at menarche, age at menopause, age at first childbirth, and parity influence breast cancer risk. A third determinant is environment, which includes the country where a woman was born and raised, lifestyle habits, and diet. It appears likely that these three broad factors are not mutually exclusive but are interactive, thereby adding to the complexity in the etiology of breast cancer.