Breast cancer and the microbiome

Manole COJOCARU MD, Ph.D

Department of Physiology and Immunology, “Titu Maiorescu” University, Faculty of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract
Breast cancer affects one in eight women. The causes of breast cancer are not fully known. Regarding breast cancer, one of the most important roles of the human microbiome is to regulate the metabolism of steroid hormones , because endogenous estrogens
are the most important risk factor in the development of breast cancer, especially in menopausal women.
Recent research has shown a correlation between the patient’s microbiome and the presence of breast cancer. Risk factors are genetic predisposition, high-fat diet, alcohol consumption, age. According to recent studies, the alteration of the microbiome is both a risk factor for breast cancer and a possible explanation for the various responses to
therapy.
This paper reveals the potential etiological role of the gastrointestinal microbiome in the occurrence of breast cancer, highlighting how the intestinal bacterial microbiome and, in particular, how the “estroboloma” (all enteric bacterial genes capable of metabolizing estrogens) could influence the risk the appearance of “estrogen receptor-positive” breast cancer after menopause.
Keywords:
breast cancer, stroboloma, intestinal microbiota, inflammation, lifestyle