Equine estrogen-induced mammary tumors in rats

Long-term hormone replacement therapy is associated with an increased risk of breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers in women. Equine estrogens are a principal component of hormone replacement therapy; however, their tumorigenic potential toward mammary tissue and reproductive organs has not been extensively explored. A pellet containing equilin was inserted under the skin of female ACI rats and the development of mammary tumors was monitored. Histological examination revealed premalignant lesions such as apocrine metaplasia in whole-mount preparations of mammary gland from the equilin-treated rats. ACI rats given 10 mg equilin developed palpable mammary tumors at 13 weeks of treatment, and 37.5% of the rats developed mammary tumors within 15 weeks. For 2.5 mg equilin, palpable tumors were observed in 8.3% of the rats after 8 weeks’ treatment; the frequency was lower than that (42.9%) observed with 2.5 mg E2. No tumors were observed in the untreated rats. Evidently, equilin is a mammary carcinogen, and this potential may be associated with development of breast and reproductive cancers in women receiving hormone replacement therapy.