Role of parathyroid hormone-related protein in breast cancer detection and prognosis

Currently, there are limited data supporting the use of parathyroid hormone-related protein for the purposes of breast cancer detection and disease prognosis. This literature review covers research results on diagnostic potential of parathyroid hormone-related protein as a biomarker for breast cancer, as well as the information available in the scientific literature, reflecting obvious contradictions regarding clinical and prognostic importance of this protein in the primary breast cancer, correlation of its expression with the risk of bone metastasis and survival of patients. Results of preclinical and clinical research show, that parathyroid hormone-related protein inhibits tumor progression and decreases its metastasis at early stages of the disease, which improves the survival rate, but it has an opposite effect at the advanced stages of cancer, as it increases tumor development and metastasis, and reduces survival rates. Altogether, these studies prove an idea that parathyroid hormone-related protein plays a double role in breast cancer. Use of parathyroid hormone-related protein for breast cancer early detection and disease prognosis is currently becoming a subject of detailed scientific research studies, which is confirmed by the facts presented in this literature review.