Etiology and Prevention
Finding the cause(s) of breast cancer is the Holy Grail for overcoming the breast cancer epidemic. Identifying the elements that cause breast cancer and developing ways to mitigate or eliminate them will provide the ultimate victory in combating the disease. Unfortunately, the only clearly demonstrable risk factor for developing breast cancer is exposure of breast cells to the female hormone, estrogen. And even this risk factor does not give a clear picture of what is actually causing breast cancer because, although most women are exposed to estrogen, only a portion for them actually develop breast cancer. In order to identify the missing pieces of the puzzle, researchers are looking for explanations in special populations. They are investigating groups of people with similar genetic backgrounds and analyzing how their risks change as they change their environment or lifestyles, or they are trying to determine which genetic variations predispose people to developing breast cancer. CBCRP has funded five applications that use these approaches.
- Changes in breast cancer risk with exposure to environmental factors — These grants will explore the role of pesticides and herbicides in breast cancer risk.
- Influence of lifestyle factors on breast cancer risk — These grants will explore the role of elements such as diet and acculturation on breast cancer risk.
- Influence of genetic factors on breast cancer risk — These grants investigate the contribution of genetic differences to breast cancer risk.
Once the causes of breast cancer have been identified, prevention methods can be developed. For now, the most demonstrably successful risk reduction methods have centered on chemoprevention; however the drugs currently available have unwanted side effects. The CBCRP grant funded in the prevention priority area is exploring the chemopreventive properties of essiac tea, which can hopefully be developed as an alternative to the drugs that are on the market.
Evaluation of Essiac Tea to Prevent Mammary Tumors
Bennett, Michelle
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
1.5 years, $185,642
Dietary Fat,Fat Metabolizing Genes and Breast Cancer Risk
Ingles, Sue Ann
University of Southern California
2 years, $399,285
Migration and Breast Cancer Risk in Hispanics
John, Esther
Northern California Cancer Center
3 years, $997,926
Pesticides and Breast Cancer in Hispanic Women
Mills, Paul
Public Health Institute
3 years, $310,388
HER-2/neu Gene Variations and Breast Cancer Risk
Press, Michael
University of Southern California
3 years, $1,147,535
Role of Vitamin D Receptor and PI3k Genes in Breast Cancer
Ylstra, Bauke
University of California, San Francisco
3 years, $300,000
