Estrogens increase the carcinogenic effect of tobacco smoke
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The hormone estrogen can promote the development of lung cancer, enhancing the carcinogenic effect of tobacco smoke, which opens the prospect of creating new cancer treatment methods that will be aimed at changing the metabolism of the hormone.
The results of experiments in mice were presented by scientists of the Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, at the annual conference of the American Association for Cancer Research in Chicago, Illinois.
"In our study, a relationship was found between estrogen and tobacco smoke," explains study leader Jing Peng.
The authors found that in the lungs of healthy mice, estrogen is metabolized to toxic derivatives - carcinogenic 4-hydroxy estrogens (4-OHEs). 4-hydroxy-estrogens activate the processes associated with cell growth, and promote the formation of free radicals that damage the cells.
The level of these carcinogenic metabolites was increased when laboratory animals were exposed to tobacco smoke. Thus, in mice that passively inhaled tobacco smoke for eight weeks, the level of 4-hydroxy estrogens increased fourfold. "We are confident that these estrogen derivatives can damage lung cells and contribute to the development of cancer," says co-author Peng Margie Clapper.
Taking into account the level of total estrogen, the content of 4-hydroxy-estrogens in the lungs of female mice was twice as high as in males.
Whether there is a similar effect of estrogen in humans remains to be seen, but according to Peng, the findings suggest that by blocking the metabolism of estrogen, it is possible to stop the development of lung cancer or prevent it. Already now, limited clinical trials of anti-estrogen drugs are carried out on patients with lung cancer.
"We believe that in the future it will be possible to develop a method for predicting the personal risk of developing lung cancer according to the level of toxic metabolites of estrogen," notes Jing Peng. "If their content is significantly increased, it could mean that a person is more likely than others to have lung cancer, and that's a bad prediction." We would like this information to be used to develop personalized medicine approaches, "she says.
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