Breast Cancer after Childhood Cancer
Authors: James M. Howard
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2005)

Letters15 March 2005Breast Cancer after Childhood CancerJames M. Howard, BSJames M. Howard, BSFrom Fayetteville, AR 72701.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-142-6-200503150-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Regarding the findings of Kenney and colleagues (1), it is my hypothesis that low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may trigger breast cancer, and that this phenomenon is often accompanied and caused by high testosterone levels (2). My hypothesis has received demonstrable support. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the probability of breast cancer. I suggest this occurs because HRT and estrogen replacement therapy both reduce DHEA levels (3). Also, “androstenedione and testosterone might be more strongly associated with [breast cancer] risk than estradiol” (4). Testosterone reduces DHEA levels. Stahlberg and associates (5) reported, “In current users of combined ...References1. Kenney LB, Yasui Y, Inskip PD, Hammond S, Neglia JP, Mertens AC, et al. Breast cancer after childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:590-7. [PMID: 15492338] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Reasons for national increase in cancer. The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas. 14 March 1994:4AA. Google Scholar3. Kraemer RR, Synovitz LB, Gimpel T, Kraemer GR, Johnson LG, Castracane VD. Effect of estrogen on serum DHEA in younger and older women and the relationship of DHEA to adiposity and gender. Metabolism. 2001;50:488-93. [PMID: 11288048] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Key T, Appleby P, Barnes I, Reeves G. Endogenous sex hormones and breast cancer in postmenopausal women: reanalysis of nine prospective studies. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2002;94:606-16. [PMID: 11959894] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Stahlberg C, Pedersen AT, Lynge E, Andersen ZJ, Keiding N, Hundrup YA, et al. Increased risk of breast cancer following different regimens of hormone replacement therapy frequently used in Europe. Int J Cancer. 2004;109:721-7. [PMID: 14999781] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Freedman DS, Khan LK, Serdula MK, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. Secular trends in height among children during 2 decades: The Bogalusa Heart Study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2000;154:155-61. [PMID: 10665602] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Bolme P, Borgstrom B, Carlstrom K. Longitudinal study of adrenocortical function following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in children. Horm Res. 1995;43:279-85. [PMID: 7607613] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Inano H, Ishii-Ohba H, Suzuki K, Yamanouchi H, Onoda M, Wakabayashi K. Chemoprevention by dietary dehydroepiandrosterone against promotion/progression phase of radiation-induced mammary tumorigenesis in rats. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1995;54:47-53. [PMID: 7632614] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Kier R, Chambers SK. Surgical transposition of the ovaries: imaging findings in 14 patients. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1989;153:1003-6. [PMID: 2678991] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Fayetteville, AR 72701. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoBreast Cancer after Childhood Cancer: A Report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Lisa B. Kenney , Yutaka Yasui , Peter D. Inskip , Sue Hammond , Joseph P. Neglia , Ann C. Mertens , Anna T. Meadows , Debra Friedman , Leslie L. Robison , and Lisa Diller Breast Cancer after Childhood Cancer Lisa B. Kenney Breast Cancer after Childhood Cancer Gabriele Rossi Metrics Cited ByCommon Factor of Cancer and the Metabolic Syndrome may be Low DHEA 15 March 2005Volume 142, Issue 6Page: 471-472KeywordsBreast cancerEstrogen replacement therapyFetusesHormone replacement therapyMedical risk factorsPopulation statisticsPubertyRadiation therapyRisk managementTestosterone ePublished: 15 March 2005 Issue Published: 15 March 2005 CopyrightCopyright © 2005 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...