Re: Henderson,B.E. and Feigelson,H.S. (2000) hormonal carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis, 21, 427-433.

and postmenopausal hyperandrogenia and the risk of breast I partly agree with the authors because some recent data cancer. These data also suggest that association of androgen suggest that, apart from the mechanism mentioned, the with breast cancer is independent of estrogen, but the impact association of androgen with breast cancer is independent of of androgen on breast cancer, of course, warrants further estrogen. Xie et al. (2,3) have shown that testosterone affects investigation (particularly in young patients because of the the stroma of the gland, probably through a paracrine action poor prognosis compared with older patients) just to define of epithelial cells, and hence, the stroma may promote carcino- the strategy of chemoprevention and treatment of this cohort genesis in a reciprocal fashion, shortening the latency time of of patients. carcinogenesis in mammary gland. In vitro studies (4) on some human breast tumor cell lines also support the role of androgens References in breast carcinogenesis via stimulation of cell proliferation as 1. Henderson,B.E. and Feigelson,H.S. (2000) Hormonal carcinogenesis. direct activation of estrogen receptor alpha. Analysis of DNA Carcinogenesis, 21, 427–433. 2. Xie,B., Tsao,S.W. and Wong,Y.C. (1999) Sex hormone-induced mammary sequence from exon 1 of the androgen receptor gene suggests carcinogenesis in female Noble rats: the role of androgens. Carcinogenesis,