Estrogen's role in head/neck cancer

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers suggest estrogen may play a role in the increase of head/neck cancer among young women.

Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, led by Ekaterina Shatalova, suggested estrogen may promote the spread of cancer within the oral cavity by helping precancerous cells move and divide more easily.

The study, published in Cancer Prevention Research, linked the enhanced movement and division of precancerous cells to an estrogen-induced enzyme -- CYP1B1 -- that breaks down toxins and metabolizes estrogen.

CYP1B1 induction occurred only in precancerous cells, which are neither totally normal nor cancerous.

The researchers found that depleting the expression of CYP1B1 diminished the ability of precancerous cells to move and divide -- compared to similar cells with normal levels of CYP1B1. Estrogen also reduced cell death in the precancerous cells, irrespective of the amount of CYP1B1 present.

The researchers said the findings need to be validated by more studies, since results were limited to a single premalignant cell line.

"In the future, we would like to find a natural or dietary agent to deplete the CYP1B1 enzyme and see if we can prevent oral cancer at the precancerous stage," Shatalova says in a statement.