AACR 2019: Predicting Breast Cancer Survival With Estrogen Byproducts
Posted: Wednesday, April 17, 2019
The urinary concentration of the 2-OHE1/16-OHE1 ratio measured shortly after breast cancer diagnosis may be associated with improved overall mortality, according to findings presented at the 2019 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting (Abstract 3294/14) in Atlanta. Marilie D. Gammon, PhD, of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health, and colleagues emphasized that further investigation is needed to confirm the findings and understand the underlying biologic mechanisms behind the relationship of estrogen metabolism and mortality in patients diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Our findings appear to indicate that, regardless of the assumed levels of estrogen in a woman’s body, the relative balance of the estrogen metabolites appear to predict prognosis after breast cancer,” Dr. Gammon commented in a UNC press release.
The authors used data from the Long Island Breast Study Project, which obtained spot urine samples from 687 women diagnosed with first primary breast cancer in 1996 and 1997. Urinary concentrations of the estrogen metabolites 2-OHE1 (2-hydroxyestrone) and 16-OHE1 (16-hydroxyestrone) were measured using an enzyme-linked immunoassay.
During a median follow-up of 18 years, the urinary concentration of the 2-OHE1/16-OHE1 ratio was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 0.74) for women with breast cancer. The same inverse association was observed for breast cancer–specific mortality (hazard ratio = 0.73) and cardiovascular diseases–specific mortality (hazard ratio = 0.76). The 2-OHE1/16-OHE1 ratio-mortality associations did not differ significantly by menopausal hormone therapy, body mass index, or menopausal status.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
