Chapter category:

Leptin as a Novel Marker in Breast and Colorectal Cancer

This chapter appears in the following book:

Leptin and Leptin Antagonists

Edited by: Arieh Gertler
ISBN: TBA
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «

Chapter authors:
Eva Surmacz and Mariusz Koda

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Obesity, defined as Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30, constitutes a known risk factor for the development of different neoplasms, including such common diseases as postmenopausal breast cancer and colorectal cancer.1 According to the National Cancer Institute significant excess of body weight increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer by 30‑50%, while the risk of colorectal cancer is elevated by 50‑100% in man and 20‑50% in women. The exact mechanism of the obesity‑cancer link is not clear, but ongoing research points to the important role of different biologically active substances produced by the adipose tissue. Among them, mitogenic growth factors, steroid hormones, fatty acids and interleukins stand out as chief culprits.1‑10 The impact of mitogens such as insulin‑like growth factor (IGF‑1), or steroids, such as estrogens, in epithelial oncogenesis has been well documented.1,10‑14 However, the function of leptin, the principal cytokine produced by fat cells and directly associated with adiposity and BMI,4,15 is still quite obscure.8 In this chapter, we review new evidence from our and other laboratories describing mechanisms of leptin‑induced neoplasia in mammary and colorectal tissues. We also address the possibility that leptin and its receptor (LR) may become new biological markers and attractive pharmaceutical targets in breast and colorectal cancer.

Eva Surmacz
Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia

Mariusz Koda

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Chapter category:

Leptin as a Novel Marker in Breast and Colorectal Cancer

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