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. 1997 Apr;105(Suppl 3):565–569. doi: 10.1289/ehp.97105s3565

Hormone-associated cancer: mechanistic similarities between human breast cancer and estrogen-induced kidney carcinogenesis in hamsters.

J G Liehr 1
PMCID: PMC1469895  PMID: 9167996

Abstract

Estrogens are risk factors for human breast cancer and induce kidney tumors in Syrian hamsters. Mechanistic features of the estrogen-induced hamster kidney tumor model have been compared with corresponding aspects of human breast cancer to gain insight into the mechanism of human mammary oncogenesis. Shared characteristics point to a mechanism of metabolic activation of steroidal estrogens to 4-hydroxylated catechol metabolites that may undergo metabolic redox cycling, a mechanism of generation of reactive free radicals. Tumors may arise in cells genetically altered by various types of estrogen-induced DNA damage. At the same time, these altered cells may respond to estrogen receptor-mediated stimuli in support of cell transformation and growth.

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Selected References

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