Abstract

Background: Breast cancer has remained a big challenge globally due to high numbers of individuals acquiring the disease, whereby it was estimated that in 2020, about 2.3 million women were diagnosed with the disease and 685,000 deaths occurred globally. Due to the high incidence and prevalence of breast cancer, different methods have been employed to illness. Some of the methods that are currently employed in the treatment of breast cancer include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, most of these methods have limitations for example surgery and radiotherapy are expensive and in addition to killing the cancer cells, they also damage the healthy cells.

Aim: The aim of the current study was to determine the antitumor effects of campesterol in N-methyl-Nnitrosourea induced breast cancer in female mice.

Methods: Four groups of female mice had mammary cancer induced and then provided with feeds containing different doses of campesterol. The mice were given feeds either containing 0% campesterol (control), 2% campesterol, 4% campesterol or 6% campesterol for 14 weeks.

Results: The results of the present study showed that the two doses of campesterol (4% and 6% campesterol) caused a significant decrease in tumor volume (p < 0.05) when compared to the control group. The results also indicated that the dose of 4% campesterol reduced the tumor incidence by 25% while that of 6% campesterol reduced the tumor incidence by 50% when compared to the control group. The results further indicated that the three doses of campesterol reduced cellular proliferation in mammary tissues when compared to the control group.

Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that campesterol could reduce tumor size, tumor incidence, number of tumors developed and mammary cellular proliferation in female mice.