Research
Hormonal
Melatonin exhibits oncostatic properties by inhibiting tumor growth in estrogen-positive breast cancer and other tumors, potentially by modulating estrogen signaling and fatty acid uptake.
Melatonin may help inhibit tumor growth in estrogen-positive cancers, but it is not a standalone cure. Night shift workers may have higher cancer risk due to suppressed melatonin.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
When administered in physiological and pharmacological concentrations, melatonin exhibits a growth inhibitory effect in estrogen-positive, MCF human breast cancer cell lines. Melatonin also inhibits the growth of estrogen-responsive breast cancer by modulating the cell’s estrogen signaling pathway [132].
Why this rating
Strong preclinical evidence; human data is observational or adjunctive.
Source
Melatonin
Seithikurippu R. Pandi‐Perumal et al. · FEBS Journal · 2006
DOI 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2006.05322.x
narrative_reviewCited 865×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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