Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

There is increasing evidence that high levels of Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in the blood is associated with increased breast cancer risk in both pre- and post-menopausal women. IGFs are molecules that regulate cell growth and differentiation, which are key events involved in cancer tumor growth. Several of the lifestyle risk factors suspected to influence IGF-1 levels overlap with known breast cancer risk factors, including age, physical activity, excess body weight, alcohol, and endogenous and exogenous hormone levels. In other words, the factors that influence IGF-1 levels are also risk factors for breast cancer. Hence, it is possible that the IGF system may be involved in mediating the effects of age, excess body weight, and alcohol intake among others on breast cancer risk. The proposed research will take advantage of a completed clinical trial to conduct an observational study to identify modifiable and non-modifiable breast cancer risk factors associated with IGF-1 levels in the blood. The research will contribute to the understanding of the influence of breast cancer risk factors and exemestane (the intervention in the underlying trial) on IGF-1 levels. Elucidating the role of IGF-1 in the breast cancer process would provide further evidence of IGF-1 as a potential therapeutic target or biomarker for precision medicine needed to reduce breast cancer risk.