Cellular Mechanisms of Oestrogen in Breast Cancer Development

The association between oestrogen and breast cancer has been demonstrated for over a century however the exact cellular mechanisms by which oestrogen play a role in breast cancer development has not been fully established. Recent investigations have shown that oestrogen is involved in many aspects of cancer progression. This review evaluates how oestrogen at the cellular level induces or promotes the process of breast carcinogenesis through its action at multiple levels of cancer pathogenesis like cellular proliferation, inhibition apoptosis, angiogenesis and invasion-metastasis. Therapeutic approaches against these mechanisms by the use of anti-oestrogens and their effectiveness are also reviewed and areas requiring further investigation are highlighted.