The relationship between immune cells and breast cancer discovered

Macrophages are immune cells that provide the optimal functioning of breasts. However, during the menstrual cycle of a woman, these cells increase her risks to breast cancer. There was a study made by researchers from University of Adelaide who tried to discover how the role of these cells changes because of hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. “These cells should be protecting our body from cancer, but at certain times of the month it appears macrophages might be allowing cancerous cells to escape immune system detection”, said the lead author of the study Wendy Ingman, Head of the Breast Biology & Cancer Unit with the University of Adelaide`s School of Medicine, the Robinson Institute and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. “We think there is a window of risk that opens up around the time when women have their period. This is when levels of the hormone progesterone drop, and this affects how the breast functions”, she said. “At this time, immune defenses in the breast tissue are down and women could be more susceptible to the initiating factors that lead to breast cancer”, she added.