Breast cancer, alcohol, and phosphate toxicity.

Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, even at low alcohol intake levels, but public awareness of the breast cancer risk associated with alcohol intake is low. Furthermore, the causative mechanisms underlying alcohol's association with breast cancer are unknown. The present theoretical paper uses a modified grounded theory method to review the research literature and propose that alcohol's association with breast cancer is mediated by phosphate toxicity, the accumulation of excess inorganic phosphate in body tissue. Serum levels of inorganic phosphate are regulated through a network of hormones released from the bone, kidneys, parathyroid glands, and intestines. Alcohol burdens renal function, which may disturb the regulation of inorganic phosphate, impair phosphate excretion, and increase phosphate toxicity. In addition to causing cellular dehydration, alcohol is an etiologic factor in nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis, which ruptures cell membranes and releases inorganic phosphate into the serum, leading to hyperphosphatemia. Phosphate toxicity is also associated with tumorigenesis, as high levels of inorganic phosphate within the tumor microenvironment activate cell signaling pathways and promote cancer cell growth. Furthermore, phosphate toxicity potentially links cancer and kidney disease in onco‐nephrology. Insights into the mediating role of phosphate toxicity may lead to future research and interventions that raise public health awareness of breast cancer risk and alcohol consumption. Public awareness of breast cancer associated with alcohol intake is low, and causative mechanisms are unknown. The present review proposes that alcohol's association with breast cancer is mediated by phosphate toxicity, which is the accumulation of inorganic phosphate in body tissue. Alcohol burdens renal function and causes nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis that releases inorganic phosphate into serum, leading to hyperphosphatemia, phosphate toxicity, and tumorigenesis by stimulating cancer cell growth. Insights in this review may raise awareness of breast cancer risk associated with alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]