RANK ligand as a target for breast cancer prevention in BRCA1 mutation carriers

Abstract

Abstract Background: BRCA1 mutation carriers commonly undergo prophylactic mastectomy to reduce their risk of breast cancer. The precise role of chemoprevention with tamoxifen, which reduces the incidence of ER-positive breast cancer in the general population, is uncertain for BRCA1 mutation carriers, where uptake has been modest. The identification of an effective and acceptable prevention therapy therefore remains a 'holy grail' for the field. Precancerous BRCA1mut/+ tissue harbors an aberrant population of luminal progenitor cells and deregulated progesterone signaling has been implicated in BRCA1-associated oncogenesis. Since Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B li..