A research team from Hong Kong University’s (HKU’s) School of Chinese Medicine found that the livers of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease exhibit excessive production of a hepatokine, which may accelerate the growth of breast cancer tumors. This discovery provides modern-day scientific evidence validating the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory that “breast disease originates from liver dysfunction.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women both in Hong Kong and around the world. It is regarded as a systemic disease and its etiology and pathological mechanisms are potentially related to multiple organs and tissues.
The team found that the chance of patients with fatty liver disease also suffering from breast cancer is about 1.4 times that of people without fatty liver and that the disease will also affect the cancer’s malignancy. They also found that fatty liver exhibits excessive production of “Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21),” which may accelerate the growth of breast cancer tumors.
Removal of FGF21 Significantly Reduced Growth of Mammary Tumors
A research team led by Dr. Chen Jianping, principal lecturer at HKU’s School of Chinese Medicine, screened out the excessively secreted hepatokine FGF21 from the livers of mice with fatty liver. An oncogenic activity study conducted by the team found that excessive supplementation of exogenous FGF21 significantly accelerated the growth of mammary tumors in mice. On the contrary, knocking out the FGF21 gene significantly reduced the growth of mammary tumors induced by fatty liver.FGF21 Reduces Therapeutic Effect of Chemotherapy Drugs, Validating TCM Theory
The researchers also found from clinical samples that, compared with normal breast tissue, the expression of FGF21 in tumor samples from patients with breast cancer was increased, which was related to the patient’s recurrence rate and mortality. At the same time, excessive secretion of FGF21 by the liver in fatty liver disease will accelerate the growth of breast tumors, enhance the ability of cancer cells to resist death, and reduce the therapeutic efficacy of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.Clinical studies have also indicated that women with fatty liver disease have a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer, highlighting the existence of the “liver-breast axis” and the importance of female liver health in the prevention of breast cancer.
Dr. Chen said that TCM has a theory that “breast disease originates from liver dysfunction,” which emphasizes the critical role of liver health in maintaining women’s breast health and the positive effect liver health has on the treatment of breast cancer. This study provides scientific evidence of the “liver-breast axis” at both the animal and cellular levels and also reveals the scientific nature of TCM theories, providing modern research evidence for the clinical application of the theory that “breast disease originates from liver dysfunction.”
Dr. Chen added that the team took the result as a basis to further explore the connection between the liver and the breast. They hope that the relevant research can bring new perspectives and methods that will enhance our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of breast cancer, as well as its clinical prevention and treatment.
