Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Breast Cancer

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Metabolism of Human Diseases

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is a type of cancer originating from the epithelium of the mammary gland. As most cancers, it can be invasive or noninvasive. Carcinomas can originate from ducts (70 %) or from lobules (10 %). Rare subtypes (mucinous, tubular, medullar, cribriform, and adenoid cystic cancers) make up the rest. Besides histology, BC is classified according to the expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), with 70 % being positive (ER+) and 30 % being negative (ER-), or the expression of the oncogene HER2 encoding the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), with 20–25 % Her2+ BCs and 75–80 % Her2− BCs. Today, a classification by a combination of gene expression profiling and classical pathology into four subtypes, luminal A, luminal B, Her2 overexpression, and basal-like BC, is commonly used (Table 1, adapted from [1]).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Goldhirsch A, Wood WC, Coates AS, Gelber RD, Thürlimann B, Senn HJ (2011) Strategies for subtypes–dealing with the diversity of breast cancer: highlights of the St. Gallen International Expert Consensus on the primary therapy of early breast cancer 2011. Ann Oncol 22:1736–1747

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Youlden DR, Cramb SM, Dunn NA, Muller JM, Pyke CM, Baade PD (2012) The descriptive epidemiology of female breast cancer: an international comparison of screening, incidence, survival and mortality. Cancer Epidemiol 36:237–248

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Stingl J (2011) Estrogen and progesterone in normal mammary gland development and in cancer. Horm Cancer 2:85–90

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Key TJ, Verkasalo PK, Banks E (2001) Epidemiology of breast cancer. Lancet Oncol 2:133–140

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Russo IH, Russo J (2011) Pregnancy-induced changes in breast cancer risk. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 16:221–233

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Osborne CK, Schiff R, Fuqua SA, Shou J (2001) Estrogen receptor: current understanding of its activation and modulation. Clin Cancer Res 7:4338s–4342s

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Razandi M, Oh P, Pedram A, Schnitzer J, Levin ER (2002) ERs associate with and regulate the production of caveolin: implications for signaling and cellular actions. Mol Endocrinol 16:100–115

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Migliaccio A, Piccolo D, Castoria G, Di Domenico M, Bilancio A, Lombardi M, Gong W, Beato M, Auricchio F (1998) Activation of the Src/p21ras/Erk pathway by progesterone receptor via cross-talk with estrogen receptor. EMBO J 17:2008–2018

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Schiff R, Massarweh SA, Shou J, Bharwani L, Mohsin SK, Osborne CK (2004) Cross-talk between estrogen receptor and growth factor pathways as a molecular target for overcoming endocrine resistance. Clin Cancer Res 10:S331–S336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Deroo BJ, Korach KS (2006) Estrogen receptors and human disease. J Clin Invest 116:561–570

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Hadler-Olsen E, Winberg JO, Uhlin-Hansen L (2013) Matrix metalloproteinases in cancer: their value as diagnostic and prognostic markers and therapeutic targets. Tumour Biol 34:2041–2051

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Köhrmann A, Kammerer U, Kapp M, Dietl J, Anacker J (2009) Expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in primary human breast cancer and breast cancer cell lines: new findings and review of the literature. BMC Cancer 9:188

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Nahta R, Yuan LX, Zhang B, Kobayashi R, Esteva FJ (2005) Insulin-like growth factor-I receptor/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 heterodimerization contributes to trastuzumab resistance of breast cancer cells. Cancer Res 65:11118–11128

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Patterson RE, Rock CL, Kerr J, Natarajan L, Marshall SJ, Pakiz B, Cadmus-Bertram LA (2013) Metabolism and breast cancer risk: frontiers in research and practice. J Acad Nutr Diet 113(2):288–296

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Faulds MH, Dahlman-Wright K (2012) Metabolic diseases and cancer risk. Curr Opin Oncol 24:58–61

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Muti P, Quattrin T, Grant BJ, Krogh V, Micheli A, Schünemann HJ, Ram M, Freudenheim JL, Sieri S, Trevisan M, Berrino F (2002) Fasting glucose is a risk factor for breast cancer: a prospective study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 11:1361–1368

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Renehan AG, Frystyk J, Flyvbjerg A (2006) Obesity and cancer risk: the role of the insulin-IGF axis. Trends Endocrinol Metab 17(8):328–336

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Heikkila K, Ebrahim S, Lawlor DA (2007) A systematic review of the association between circulating concentrations of C reactive protein and cancer. J Epidemiol Community Health 61:824–833

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Davies C, Godwin J, Gray R, Clarke M, Cutter D, Darby S, McGale P, Pan HC, Taylor C, Wang YC, Dowsett M, Ingle J, Peto R (2011) Relevance of breast cancer hormone receptors and other factors to the efficacy of adjuvant tamoxifen: patient-level meta-analysis of randomised trials. Lancet 378:771–784

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Fedele P, Calvani N, Marino A, Orlando L, Schiavone P, Quaranta A, Cinieri S (2012) Targeted agents to reverse resistance to endocrine therapy in metastatic breast cancer: where are we now and where are we going? Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 84:243–251

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Bianco S, Gévry N (2012) Endocrine resistance in breast cancer: from cellular signaling pathways to epigenetic mechanisms. Transcription 3:165–170

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Hubalek M, Brunner C, Matthä K, Marth C (2010) Resistance to HER2-targeted therapy: mechanisms of trastuzumab resistance and possible strategies to overcome unresponsiveness to treatment. Wien Med Wochenschr 160:506–512

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Pohlmann PR, Mayer IA, Mernaugh R (2009) Resistance to trastuzumab in breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res 15:7479–7491

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Tsang RY, Finn RS (2012) Beyond trastuzumab: novel therapeutic strategies in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Br J Cancer 106(1):6–13

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Mendelsohn J, Baselga J (2003) Status of epidermal growth factor receptor antagonists in the biology and treatment of cancer. J Clin Oncol 21:2787–2799

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Gallagher EJ, LeRoith D (2011) Diabetes, cancer, and metformin: connections of metabolism and cell proliferation. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1243:54–68

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Bodmer M, Meier C, Krahenbuhl S, Jick SS, Meier CR (2010) Long-term metformin use is associated with decreased risk of breast cancer. Diabetes Care 33(6):1304–1308

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Shaw RJ, Lamia KA, Vasquez D, Koo SH, Bardeesy N, Depinho RA, Montminy M, Cantley LC (2005) The kinase LKB1 mediates glucose homeostasis in liver and therapeutic effects of metformin. Science 310(5754):1642–1646

    Google Scholar 

  29. Alimova IN, Liu B, Fan Z, Edgerton SM, Dillon T, Lind SE, Thor AD (2009) Metformin inhibits breast cancer cell growth, colony formation and induces cell cycle arrest in vitro. Cell Cycle 8(6):909–915

    Google Scholar 

  30. Jungbauer A, Medjakovic S (2012) Anti-inflammatory properties of culinary herbs and spices that ameliorate the effects of metabolic syndrome. Maturitas 71(3):227–239

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Baliga MS, Haniadka R, Pereira MM, D’Souza JJ, Pallaty PL, Bhat HP, Popuri S (2011) Update on the chemopreventive effects of ginger and its phytochemicals. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 51(6):499–523

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany

    Tanja Fehm & Eugen Ruckhäberle

Authors
  1. Tanja Fehm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eugen Ruckhäberle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tanja Fehm .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Metabolic Physiology, German Diabetes Center, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Eckhard Lammert

  2. CardioMetabolic Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Biberach, Germany

    Martin Zeeb

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Wien

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fehm, T., Ruckhäberle, E. (2014). Breast Cancer. In: Lammert, E., Zeeb, M. (eds) Metabolism of Human Diseases. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0715-7_55

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation