BREAST CANCER AND MELATONIN

Experimental findings supporting an oncostatic role of melatonin in hormone-dependent mammary tumors are reviewed. The mechanisms of melatonin anti-tumor effect are discussed, including interaction with the tumor cell estrogen-dependent pathways, cell cycle length regulation, telomerase activity inhibition, modulation of fatty acid transport, and metabolism and anti-invasive characteristics of the hormone. Melatonin application is shown to be well- grounded in anti-estrogen therapy of breast cancer.