p53 and gamma radiation in the normal breast

Purpose: With the increasing use of radiation as adjuvant therapy in breast cancer, the effects of g radiation on the remaining normal breast are of increasing importance. The complexities of multiple cellular types within breast tissues and the role of the pleiotropic Tumour Protein 53 (TP53, p53) protein with its downstream transcriptional targets and cellular processes may be central to the effects on residual normal breast tissues.

Conclusion: While a detailed understanding of p53 protein-mediated responses in normal breast tissues remains elusive, p53 appears to have a pivotal role in the effects of g radiation on normal breast epithelium, but not stromal cells, which may account for the differing clinical effects of g radiation in women treated for breast cancer.