Impact of the type of breast cancer on the biodiversity of the vaginal Candida represented by estrogen receptor and its levels

Abstract

Aim: Estrogen has an important role in the colonization of Candida through the presence of estrogen receptors (ERs). These ERs are usually used to categorize breast cancer into two types, positive and negative ER breast cancers. The effect of variation in the type of ER and estrogen levels on the biodiversity of Candida in the vagina was investigated. Methods: A case-control study, consisting of three groups of 30 patients with ER-positive, 29 with ER-negative breast cancer, and 30 healthy individuals, was carried out. The diversity and counting of Candida spp. in the vagina and estrogen levels were identified in all subjects. Results: The growth of Candida spp. was high in the vagina of patients with ER-positive breast cancer when estrogen was at normal levels. Otherwise, its growth was enhanced by high levels of estrogen in patients with ER-negative breast cancer. Conclusions: Estrogen levels have no effect on the vaginal content of Candida spp. in patients with ER-positive breast cancer, unlike those with ER-negative breast cancer. The principal recommendation from this study is that vaginal candidiasis and estrogen levels should be checked in patients with ER-negative breast cancer.