Breast cancer development can be accelerated by horomones found in hormoneA chemical produced by cells that alters the activity of other cells. The chemicals may be lipids, such as testosterone and estrogen or proteins like insulin. Hormones may act at locations far from their site of origin. Estrogen, for example, is produced primarily by cells in the ovaries but acts on cells in the breast and elsewhere. replacement therapy (HRT) treatments. In a rat model of breast cancer, researchers have found that apigenin, a chemical found in parsley, carrots and other vegetables, can prevent the acclerated growth caused by the HRT hormone (medroxyprogesterone acetate or MPA). MPA has been shown to increase the development of tumor blood vessels (a process called angiogenesisThe formation of blood vessels. This process is required for a tumor to grow past a small size since the blood delivers nutrients to the cells in the tumor mass.) and tumor growth, a process blocked by apigenin.
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