THE RISK of developing breast cancer should be of concern to women and men alike. There are several risk factors associated with breast cancer. You may be curious to know what a risk factor is. A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of developing diseases such as arthrosclerosis, diabetes and cancers.
Some risk factors, such as age, race and gender, cannot be changed as they are linked to the person. Other risks are linked to cancer-causing factors in the environment. Today, with the increase in lifestyle diseases, several risk factors for cancers are triggered by lifestyle and personal behaviour. These include diet, smoking, alcohol consumption and sedentary lifestyle.
Age
The breast cancer risk factors that you will not be able to change include age, race and gender. As you age, your risk of breast cancer increases. At age 55 and over, two of every three women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, five to 10 per cent of breast cancers are hereditary. The fact that mother or father had the disease increases the likelihood of getting breast cancer. By a process of mutation, genes change and when inherited from a parent the risk of breast cancer increases.
Abnormal genes
The most common inherited mutations are those of the BRCA1 or BRCA 2 genes. These are normally responsible for preventing cancer by making proteins that help the cells from growing abnormally. When these abnormal genes are inherited, they increase the risk of breast cancer in woman at a younger age by 80 per cent compared to those women who are not born with mutated genes.
Persons who are at risk of breast cancer through inheriting mutated genes may be anxious to have genetic testing done. However, it is important to weigh the risks and benefits of genetic testing. Consultations should be done with a genetic counsellor or a qualified doctor before genetic testing is done.
Late pregnancy
Women who have no children or had their first child after age 30 may have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. Early pregnancy and having multiple children reduces the risk of breast cancer in women.
The debate is on as to whether birth control pills increase the risk of breast cancer. Some studies have shown that the use or oral contraceptives may slightly increase breast cancer risk in women but the risk declines once the use of contraceptives is stopped. You should discuss the use of oral contraceptives and their risk factors for breast cancers with your doctor before you start to use them.
Menopause
Menopause brings changes in hormones and it may be necessary to resort to hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) to help relieve the symptoms associated with menopause and to prevent thinning of the bones (osteoporosis). For women who still have their uterus (womb), a combination of the hormones progesterone and estrogen is usually prescribed. Estrogen alone can increase the risk of uterine cancer so progesterone is combined to reduce this risk. For women who have had a hysterectomy and no longer have a uterus, estrogen alone may be prescribed in what is known as estrogen replacement therapy (ERT).
However, the American Cancer Society reports that large studies have found an increased risk of breast cancer in women on combined postmenopausal hormone therapy (PHT). Combined PHT also increases the likelihood of finding the cancer in a more advanced stage, possible because it reduces the effectiveness of mammograms.
Alcohol
Alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer and the risk increases with amount of alcohol consumed. Women who drink two to five alcoholic drinks daily have about one and a half times the breast cancer risk compared with women who drink no alcohol. In addition to cancer of the breast, alcohol consumption is known to increase the risk of cancers in the mouth, throat, esophagus and liver.
An overweight or obese woman increases her risk of breast cancer, especially after menopause when the ovaries stop making estrogen, leaving fat tissues to produce most of the estrogen. With more fat tissue from being overweight, estrogen levels increase as well as the likelihood of breast cancer. It is advisable to maintain a healthy weight throughout the life cycle balancing food intake with physical exercise.
Exercise
It is well established that exercise reduces the breast cancer risk. Studies have shown that as little at 1.25 to 2.5 hours per week of brisk walking will reduce a woman's risk of breast cancer by 18 per cent. It is recommended that to reduce your risk of breast cancer you engage in 45 to 60 minutes of intentional physical activity at least five days a week.
Though not conclusive among researchers, it is strongly believed that fat in the diet increases the risk of breast cancer. It has been found that the incidence of breast cancer is less in countries with a diet low in total fat and saturated fat. Further research is taking place to better understand the effect of the types of fat in the diet and the breast cancer risk. It is recommended that fats from plant sources be consumed and that the diet should include five or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Whole grains should be eaten over processed grains and the consumption of processed and red meats should be limited.
Unfounded theories
There are email rumours that underarm antiperspirants may cause breast cancer due to chemicals absorbed through the skin which interfere with lymph circulation causing toxins to build up in the breast and eventually results in breast cancer. Also unfounded, is another email rumour that under wire bras may cause breast cancer by obstructing lymph flow. Silicone breast implants do not pose a cancer risk, but scar tissue may develop in the breasts. Implants make it harder to see breast tissue in mammograms.
A fairly recent finding indicates that women, who work at nights, for example nurses on a night shift, are at greater risk for breast cancer. It is believed that this may be due to a disruption in melatonin, a hormone affected by light.
There is enough conclusive evidence of the risk factors that cause breast cancer. Your responsibility is to check your breasts each month. At the first sign of any abnormality, check with your doctor. A mammogram should be part of your annual medical examination.
1 comment:
I agree that there is conclusive evidence of several factors that contribute to breast cancer. These, though important, explain less than half of cases. And, experience supports statistics. Most of us know of someone that was "doing everything right" that developed breast cancer anyway.
At this time we have no explanation for half of breast cancers. We wonder why Marin County California is considered the breast cancer capital of the world, even though residents there are more physically active, smoke less, are less obese, and eat more organic produce, than comparative communities - even after late age at first birth is taken into account.
It is time the public is advised of things that may make a difference. The Silent Spring study published last May in collaboration with Harvard University and the Univeristy of Southern California, listed 216 chemicals known to cause breast cancer in animals. Do we need to wait for studies on humans? I hope not. In fact, if a chemical has been shown to cause breast cancer in rats or dogs or monkeys, we are never going to test it on 6 year old girls!
It is time for those who want to lower their risk, to look at these chemicals, and make precautionary changes. Just as with melatonin and sleep. We know that completely blind woman have a very low risk of breast cancer. Why do we need to wait for a study that proves conclusively that sleeping in total darknes makes a difference?
Lynne Eldridge MD
Author, "Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time: Practical Advice for Preventing Cancer"
www.avoidcancernow.com
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