The female breast and diabetes

The present review outlines the various issues of breast pathology in diabetes. Diabetic mastopathy is an uncommon proliferation of fibrous tissue in the breast that mimics tumour. Breast arterial calcifications represent calcium deposits in the media of arterioles and are more frequently detected on mammograms of diabetic subjects. Importantly, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been associated with breast cancer, but the mechanism underlying this association is complex, since the two entities frequently co-exist and seem to share common aetiological factors and pathways. Furthermore, diabetes has been suggested to negatively affect breast cancer outcomes, but it is unclear whether better glycaemic control would ameliorate prognosis. Preliminary data suggest that antidiabetic treatment may also influence both the incidence and prognosis of breast cancer. However, available evidence is inconclusive and further research is needed. Therefore, treatment of diabetes should not be determined by its potential effect on breast cancer. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.