The importance of environmental exposure on selected xenoestrogens in the pathogenesis of breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer observed in women, and in its pathogenesis, in addition to endogenous estrogens, a significant role is played by xenoestrogens, which are present in the human life environment. It is a large group of exogenous compounds of diverse structure, not produced in the human body, which imitate the action of female sex hormones, especially estrogens, and in consequence affect the hormonal balance of the body.Despite the diverse structure, their common feature is the ability to interact with estrogenreceptors. In this way they change the functioning of the endocrine system and, consequently,they can induce negative changes in the human body and effects on the health of both theparental generation and its offspring. Some xenoestrogens may cause tumor growth by stimulatingcell proliferation, angiogenesis and metastasis. So far, such properties have been foundfor organic compounds, but also for some metal ions, referred to as metalloestrogens. For thisreason, it is extremely important to know the sources of the presence and mechanisms ofxenoestrogens in the pathogenesis of mammary gland cancer. The presented paper discussesthe role of selected xenoestrogens, such as: bisphenol A, phthalates, parabens or cadmium, asa metalloestrogen. A wide range of xenoestrogens has been selected for the compounds givenabove, due to their importance in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and their widespread presencein the human environment, as well as to draw attention to the still-present problem ofpossible chronic environmental or occupational exposure of humans. The paper also exploresthe problem of the effect of xenoestrogens on the efficacy of breast cancer treatment, presentingpossible xenoestrogen-drug interactions. It also explains how xenoestrogens presentin foods (phytoestrogens) can affect the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy of breast cancer.