We study the role of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone in the development of the normal breast, and in breast cancer.
These hormones are produced by the ovaries and regulate normal breast cell growth in puberty. They circulate in the female in a cyclical pattern throughout reproductive life and are also implicated in the development and progression of cancer.
Our research is unique in that we study healthy breast tissue removed from women during a breast reduction, as well as data and cancer tissue supplied by the Australian Breast Cancer Tissue Bank. This means our findings are directly applicable to humans and can be quickly translated into prevention of breast cancer, better prognosis and diagnosis, and new ways of predicting the response to treatment for women with breast cancer.