Novel Adipokines and the Risk of Obesity-Related Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors around the world, and it is the leading cause of cancer death in women. Obesity is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, especially in postmenopausal women. The prominence of the triad of overweight/obesity, insulin resistance, and adipokines in cancer has been highlighted in recent studies. Adipose tissue has a vital endocrine role, secreting numerous biochemicals that affect human physiology. Obesity impaired this role, resulting in alterations in adipokine release, which contributed to the development of carcinogenesis. Among these adipokines are vaspin and omentin-1. Vaspin is a serine protease inhibitor produced from visceral adipose tissue that is well recognized for its insulin-sensitizing properties and modulatory role in glucose tolerance. Vaspin also exhibits anti-inflammatory effects. Omentin-1 improves insulin sensitivity and has been linked to a lower risk of obesity, along with a potential role as a tumor suppressor in cancers such as prostate, liver, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer. To the extent of our knowledge, there are few studies regarding the association of vaspin as well as omentin-1 gene polymorphisms with breast cancer risk.