Breast Cancer Health Center

Pregnancy Hormone May Prevent Breast Cancer

Other Researchers Optimistic

Russo sees a day in the future when women at high risk of breast cancer can take HCG for a short time during puberty, thereby modifying their genetic signature in such a way as to confer protection for life.

Timothy Richard Rebbeck, PhD, an expert in molecular epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, says the studies "reflect the work of Russo's lab, which is brilliant."

"The notion of taking a very well-established risk factor like pregnancy that's not really modifiable and taking it to the next step and mimic it to prevent breast cancer is very innovative," he tells WebMD.

But further studies are needed to determine other factors that may be working in concert with HCG to exert an antitumor effect, he says.