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A byproduct of cholesterol functions like the hormone estrogen to fuel the growth and spread of the most common types of breast cancers, researchers report.
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Research for the first time explains the link between high cholesterol and breast cancer, especially in post-menopausal women, and suggests that dietary changes or therapies to reduce cholesterol may also offer a simple, accessible way to reduce breast cancer risk.
One of the products of cholesterol metabolism is 27HC, which mimics the hormone estrogen and can independently drive the growth of breast cancer. It is well known that estrogen can promote breast cancers.
The researchers set out to determine whether this estrogen activity was sufficient on its own to promote breast cancer growth and metastasis, and whether controlling it would have a converse effect.
They found a direct correlation between the aggressiveness of the tumor and an abundance of the enzyme that makes the 27HC molecule. They also noted that 27HC could be made in other places in the body and transported to the tumor. "The worse the tumors, the more they have of the enzyme," said lead author Erik Nelson, Ph.D., a post-doctoral associate at Duke Cancer Institute.
The findings suggest there may be a simple way to reduce the risk of breast cancer by keeping cholesterol in check.