Review of Polymorphism of the Calcium-Sensing Receptor Gene and Breast Cancer Risk

ABSTRACT

Polymorphism of the calcium-sensing receptor gene (CaSR or CaR) has been associated with an increased risk for breast cancer. This receptor plays an important role in calcium homeostasis, and has also been detected in several tissues that are unrelated to calcium metabolism, such as the skin, brain, and breast. The calcium-sensing receptor on cellular level, it regulates cell differentiation, proliferation, cell death, and gene expression. In breast cancer cells, CaSR seems to stimulate secretion of the parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), which stimulates cellular proliferation. Likewise, some studies have supported not only an association between calcium receptor gene polymorphism and breast cancer risk, but also a higher aggressiveness and unfavorable outcomes in breast cancer, which led us to make a survey in Pubmed on the subject in the last 10 years. Thus, in the literature there is a paucity of studies on the subject and the aim of this review was to show the role of calcium-sensing receptor and its association with breast cancer risk.

KEYWORDS:

• Breast cancer
• Risk factors
• CaSR
• CaSR gene
• Polymorphism