These findings support the proof of concept that RA exerts a breast cancer-promoting action whenever, due to epigenetic repression, RARA-transcriptionally-regulated tumor suppressor signaling pathways (e.g. TGFB-TGFBR2) fail to counteract the effects of RARA-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and breast cancer.