The Effects of Sex Protein Receptors and Sex Steroid Hormone Gene Polymorphisms on Breast Cancer Risk

Breast cancer is a common disease and a major cause of death among women throughout the world. Various genes are believed to be involved in the initiation and progression of the disease. Some polymorphisms of these genes increase susceptibility to breast cancer in particular ethnicities. This study used electronic literature search to review the effects of different sex steroid hormone gene polymorphisms on breast cancer risk. Our findings indicated that some polymorphisms in estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α), ER-β, progesterone receptor (PGR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), and cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) affected breast cancer susceptibility, especially in African American women.