Melatonin is an appropriate candidate for breast cancer treatment: Based on known molecular mechanisms.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to summarize the roles of melatonin in breast cancer treatment, focusing on its molecular actions and antitumor properties.
Results Summary
Melatonin exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and oncostatic effects, with potential antitumor properties that may suppress breast cancer development in vitro and in animal models through various mechanisms.
Population
Not specified (abstract discusses general mechanisms and in vitro/animal models).
Effective Dosage
Not mentioned
Duration
Not mentioned
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hormonal agents and chemotherapy | decrease | breast cancer death rate | people | - | have beneficial effects on lowering | #1 |
melatonin | decrease | different cancer types | - | - | has antitumor properties on | #2 |
melatonin | decrease | cancer development | in vitro and animal models | - | may suppress | #3 |
melatonin | decrease | breast cancer | - | - | inhibits the development of | #4 |
Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and one of the most important causes of death in women throughout the world. Breast cancer risk factors include smoking, alcohol consumption, personal and family history, hypertension, and hormone therapy, long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and tobacco usage. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and neoadjuvant therapy are the current means for breast cancer treatment. Despite hormonal agents and chemotherapy, which have beneficial effects on lowering breast cancer death rate, the reaction of different people to these treatments is still a challenging point. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine) is a methoxy indole compound that is mainly secreted by the pineal gland at night; it is as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and oncostatic agent. On the basis of recent studies, melatonin has antitumor properties on different cancer types and it may suppress cancer development in vitro and as well as in animal models. It is suggested that melatonin inhibits the development of breast cancer by various mechanisms. This paper summarizes the roles of melatonin in breast cancer treatment from the aspect of its molecular actions.