BRCA1 and estrogen signaling in breast cancer

Since the gene encoding BRCA1 was first cloned in 1994, researchers have sought to establish the molecular basis for its linkage to breast and ovarian cancer. As universal functions for this protein have emerged, questions persist concerning how its disruption can elicit cancer in a tissue- and gender-specific manner. Here, we review evidence that a functional interrelationship between BRCA1 and estrogen signaling may be involved in breast tumorigenesis.