> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # IGF-1 linked to poor breast cancer prognosis - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/igf-1_breast_cancer_survival_1015130700/ - Published: 2013-10-15T19:59:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T16:24:01.000Z - Description: Among 600 women with stage I-IIIA breast cancer, those in the highest quintile of serum IGF-1 were 210 percent more likely to die of any cause than those in the lowest, an International Journal of Cancer study reports. The IGF-1 to IGFBP-3 ratio showed a similar link. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Disease, Health News, #vivvo-import Tuesday Oct 15, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study published in International Journal of Cancer indicates that having a high level of serum insulin-like growth factor 1may increase the risk of death from breast cancer or poorer prognosis of this disease. On the other hand, Catherine Duggan from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Public Health Sciences in Seattle, WA and colleagues authors of the study report that high insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 can inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells and lower the risk of breast cancer mortality or increase breast cancer survival. Circulating insulin-like growth factor -1 (IGF-1) is a breast epithelial cell mitogen which is known to be associated with breast cancer development at high levels. The study was seeking to establish its association with breast cancer survival. For the study, researchers analyzed both IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 (IGF binding protein-3) in blood samples from 600 patients diagnosed with stage I -IIIA breast cancer who enrolled in the health, eating, activity and lifestyle study. There are quite a few IGF binding proteins and not all are protective against the growth of breast cancer. After adjustment for other confounders including body mass index, ethnicity, tamoxifen use, treatment after diagnosis and IGFBP-3, women in the highest quintile of IGF-1 were found 210% more likely to die from all causes, compared with those in the lowest quintile. Similarly, the ratio of IGF-1 to IGFBP-3 ratio, which indicates the free IGF-1 levels in the blood, was also associated with 183% increased risk of death from all cases. The researchers concluded "In conclusion, high serum levels of IGF-1 and the IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio were associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality in women with breast cancer. These results need to be confirmed in larger breast cancer survivor cohorts." Another study published in the Aug 2013 issue of Current Oncology indicates that high serum insulin-like growth factor 1 is associated with elevated risk of nodal metastasis in endocrine-positive breast cancer. High risk of nodal metastasis means high risk of death. So this study is consistent with the one by Duggan et al. The study led by F. Morgillo, MD Ph. D. and colleagues says in addition to its association with the development of breast cancer including endocrine responsive breast cancer, elevated IGF-1 is also known to promote disease progression and recurrence. The authors say IGF-1 is known to promote lymphangiogenesis by inducing vascular endothelial growth factor C (vegfc). For their study, the researchers determined IGF-1, GFBP-3 and vegfc in the blood samples from 60 patients with endocrine positive breast cancer and associated the levels of these proteins with the presence of lymphatic metastasis. All proteins were associated with lymph node metastasis in endocrine responsive breast cancer. And the levels of IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and vegfc were found higher than that in healthy controls. More reporting will be coming to discuss how to lower the level of IGF-1\. Or does IGF-1 really increase the risk of breast cancer mortality in the first place and after all how to prevent breast cancer. (DL)