Endocrine and Genetic Bases of Hormone‐Related Cancers

Abstract

OverviewNeoplasia of hormone‐responsive tissues currently accounts for more than 30% of all newly diagnosed male cancers and almost 40% of all newly diagnosed female cancers in the United States. Given that endogenous hormones apparently affect the risk of these cancers and their overall frequency, concern exists about the effects on cancer risk if the same or closely related hormones are administered for therapeutic purposes (e.g., as contraceptives, as menopausal hormone therapy, or for the prevention of miscarriage). Depending on the timing of hormone use and the tissue‐specific effects, some of these compounds will reduce risk while others increase risk of “hormone‐dependent” cancers. This chapter focuses on breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers among women and prostate cancer among men and provides a review of the epidemiologic and endocrinologic evidence for the role of hormones in cancer development. It also reviews the current status of the relationship between exogenous hormones and risk of cancers of the breast, endometrium, and ovary. In addition, it summarizes our current knowledge of genetic susceptibility to breast, endometrial, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Other less common cancers (e.g., cervical cancer, clear cell vaginal adenocarcinoma, thyroid cancer, testicular cancer, and osteosarcoma) may have a hormonal basis as well, but are not reviewed in this chapter.