Anna Janiak, Paulina Wojtysiak, Anna Woźniak, Ewa Sawicka

Chemoprevention of breast cancer
2022-12-29

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant neoplasms in women worldwide. Unfortunately, each year the number of people diagnosed with this disease increases. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has shown that in 2020, about 2 million cases of this disease were detected worldwide. Hence the huge role of prophylaxis, not only in the form of periodic tests but also in slightly less conventional ways, i.e. chemoprevention, which may be a promising strategy to reduce the incidence and mortality of breast cancer in women. In recent years, the interest in chemopreventive agents i.e. compounds with a protective effect that supports the detoxification abilities of the body, has been growing rapidly. It involves the use of natural or synthetic substances that inhibit the formation and growth of tumors. Chemopreventive compounds, by influencing the initiation, promotion, and progression process, play a key role in protecting the body’s cells against carcinogenesis. The mechanism of their action includes, first of all, the modulation of signal transduction pathways, reduction of inflammation, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of metastasis. The aim of this study is to present the chemopreventive mechanisms of selected substances in relation to breast cancer. The following chemoprotective agents are discussed: folic acid, vitamin D3, vitamin B6, carotenoids, curcumin, piperine, indole-3-cabolinol, sulforaphane, quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate and omega-3 fatty acids indicating the mechanism of their impact on the neoplastic tissue of the mammary gland. Particularly much attention has been paid to the protective properties of Scutellaria baicalensis containing various chemopreventive compounds, e.g. baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, and wogonoside. The study is based on the literature on in vitro studies on cell lines, animal studies, as well as meta-analyses involving numerous groups of patients with breast cancer. This study is a concise approach to the topic with the use of selected chemopreventive factors.

Keywords: vitamins, breast cancer, curcumin, chemoprevention, sulforaphane, baicalin, piperine, Indole-3-cabinol.

© Farm Pol, 2022, 78 (10): 580–588