Localised breast cancers may have systemic influences on skin and hair

The study investigated the expression of biomarkers in breast cancer cells and breast skin, involving 33 breast tumor specimens and 32 normal controls. It found significant correlations in the expression of cyclin D1, bcl-2, and p53 between normal breast epithelial cells and breast skin epithelial cells. In women with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), these biomarkers were expressed at higher levels in both cancerous and skin cells. HER-2 was not expressed in normal women but was present in the breast skin of some subjects with HER-2-positive breast cancer. Additionally, oestrogen receptor alpha was more frequently expressed in the breast skin of women with IDC and DCIS compared to normal controls. The study concluded that localized breast cancer had systemic effects, influencing changes in skin and hair.