Using Metabolomics to Explore the Role of Postmenopausal Adiposity in Breast Cancer Risk
Couplée aux données portant sur 621 patientes atteintes d'un cancer du sein et sur 621 témoins et à partir de l'analyse de 617 métabolites présents dans le sérum avant le diagnostic, cette étude évalue l'association entre l'indice de masse corporelle et le risque de développer la maladie après la ménopause
Excess adiposity after menopause is a well-established, and potentially modifiable, breast cancer risk factor (1). Breast cancer has a clear hormonal origin, and adiposity is likely to influence breast cancer risk through estrogens given that aromatization of androgens in adipose tissue is the primary estrogen source after menopause. In fact, overweight and obese postmenopausal women have 50% higher circulating estrogen levels compared with lean women (2). Underpinning the prominent hormonal hypothesis, excess adiposity is more strongly associated with estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) breast cancers (1). In addition to estrogen (3), other mechanisms that may contribute to the body mass index (BMI)–breast cancer association include inflammation and insulin resistance. Perturbations in metabolic systems are hallmarks of obesity, and a logical place to investigate additional mechanisms.