Influence of fetal microchimerism on breast carcinoma in mothers

Fetal microchimerism is a condition where fetal cells are present in the body of the mother, they are transmitted during pregnancy and may persist for several decades after parturition. Their presence affects the immune system of the mother, which is investigated in both autoimmune and tumor diseases. This work, as a literature review, summarizes the current knowledge of the effect of fetal microchimerism on breast carcinomas in mothers, which is one of the most common cancer in women worldwide. It is based on studies that examined the presence of fetal cells in peripheral blood and neoplastic maternal tissues. While the correlation between the presence of fetal microchimerism in peripheral blood and breast cancer suggests a possible protective role, the data on the investigation of the same correlation in neoplastic tissue are not so unambiguous. Some of them suggest a protective role, others have a negative role. Key words - fetal microchimerism, breast carcinoma, pathogenesis, oncology, tumo