Hormonal Carcinogenesis: The Role of Estrogens

This chapter focuses on the role of estrogens and their roles in cancer with an emphasis on prostate biology. It is now apparent that estrogens, both those synthesized by the body and those from our environment, target estrogen-responsive tissues at all stages of development and maturation. Little is known about the mechanisms involved in estrogen stimulation of carcinogenesis and less is known about how to prevent or treat cancer through estrogenic pathways. To better understand how estrogens mediate their carcinogenic effects, the respective roles of estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) and estrogen receptor beta (ER-β) must be elucidated in the epithelial and stromal cells that constitute each tissue. Lastly, the significance of estrogen receptor (ER) signaling during various ontogenic periods must be determined. Answers to these questions will further our understanding of the mechanisms of estrogen/ER signaling and will serve as a basis for chemo-preventive and/or chemo-therapeutic strategies for estrogen-induced cancers.