The Breast Cancer Blog

Calorie Restriction Lowers Breast Cancer Risk

2008-11-19T21:44:22Z

It's long been known that regular diet and exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women. A new study done on obese, post-menopausal mice may have uncovered one of the reasons why.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found that cutting calories and exercise affect pathways to mTOR, a molecule that integrates energy balance with cell growth and can contribute to various human diseases when it is not functioning properly.

It appears, however, that exercise affects a different pathway than calorie restriction and that calorie restriction works better overall than exercise in preventing cancer. The calorie-restricted mice had much better hormone profiles than mice allowed to gorge or mice who exercised but didn't lower caloric intake.

"These data suggest that although exercise can act on similar pathways as caloric restriction, caloric restriction possesses a more global effect on cell signaling and, therefore, may produce a more potent anti-cancer effect," [study author Leticia M.] Nogueira said.

This is yet more proof that a way of eating called calorie restriction (not to be confused with dieting or anorexia) can prevent age-related disease.

Wealthy Women More Likely to Have Breast Reconstruction

2008-11-18T03:38:06Z

Wealthy women and more educated women are more likely to have breast construction after mastectomies, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. They also found that black women are less likely to undergo reconstruction.

"The community a patient lives in actually does influence, in some way, the access they have to breast reconstruction," said lead researcher Dr. Gedge D. Rosson, an assistant professor of plastic surgery. "We need to learn more about why that is."

The researchers weren't sure what the exact reason for this was, but said women in these communities should be informed about their options through educational and informative community programs.

The researchers think educational programs should be developed to let these women know the benefits of breast reconstruction.

Christina Applegate Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

2008-08-11T03:41:49Z

Actress Christina Applegate, 36, has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Because it was caught early, she is expected to make a full recovery. The cancer was found through an MRI.

Applegate, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, is an active breast cancer activist.

Safeway to Donate $17 Million for Breast Cancer Research

2007-11-12T20:40:12Z

After a successful month of fundraising in all of its stores, Safeway Inc. has announced that it will donate nearly $17 million for breast cancer research and prevention programs in the United States and Canada.

"The results of our month-long campaign will fund important research and prevention programs and help move closer towards ending the devastation of breast cancer," Larree Renda, a Safeway executive vice president and chair of the Safeway Foundation, said in the statement.

Research centers that will receive funding include The Carol Franc Buck Breast Cancer Center at the University of California San Francisco, The Revlon Women's Cancer Research Program at UCLA, City of Hope, Translational Genomics Research Institute, The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, and several others.

The company also plans to fund several mobile mammography screening units in low income areas throughout the United States.

Sun Exposure Protects Against Advanced Breast Cancer

2007-10-29T21:42:41Z

New research suggests that getting a lot of sun exposure may reduce the risk of advanced breast cancer in women with light skin. In fact, it may reduce the risk by as much as 47 percent.

Researchers say the protective factor most likely comes from the active form of vitamin D the body produces when exposed to sunlight. Fair-skinned women produce more vitamin D when exposed to sunlight than do their darker-skinned counterparts.

While experts warn against too much sun exposure, they also warn against the dangers of no sun exposure, especially in light of this study and other recent studies that indicate a direct correlation between vitamin D deficiency and cancer risk.

Serta Counting Sheep for the Cure Essay Contest

2007-10-21T21:37:54Z

In partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Serta is running the Counting Sheep for the Cure™ Bedroom Makeover essay contest.

Breast cancer survivors are invited to submit essays of 150 words or less on how breast cancer has affected their lives. Friends and family members of survivors can also submit essays nominating a breast cancer survivor for the prize. Essays are being accepted from now until November 30, 2007.

Two winners will receive a $10,000 bedroom makeover from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's Thom Filicia.

Serta will also donate $5,000 to Komen for the Cure in each of the two winners’ names.

Essays can be submitted online at Serta.com or at any America's Mattress store. Those who drop their essays off at an America's Mattress store will receive a special Serta Counting Sheep for the Cure gift.

10 Ways to Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk

2007-10-17T01:56:33Z

Whether you have a family history of breast cancer or not, there are some things you can do that may reduce your chances of getting the disease. From lifestyle choices to eating certain foods, here are ten things that may make a difference.

Exercise regularly
Regular exercise may cut the risk of breast cancer by as much as 25 percent.

Maintain a healthy weight
Research suggests that women who maintain a BMI (body mass index) of less than 25 have a lower risk of breast cancer than women who are overweight.

Avoid red meat
A study of 90,000 women found that those who consumed a lot of red meat doubled their breast cancer risk compared to women who rarely ate red meat.

Limit alcohol consumption
Several studies have found a link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. Some experts recommend women keep alcohol consumption to 7 drinks per week or fewer while others say women should avoid alcohol altogether.

Eat more garlic
Animal studies have shown that garlic may prevent breast cancer and slow its growth. Research has also shown that cooking garlic with red meat reduces carcinogenic chemicals in cooked meat.

Supplement with CoQ10
Several studies suggest that supplementation with CoQ10 may prevent breast cancer and slow its progress. CoQ10 is also an overall immune system booster and may prevent other types of cancer as well.

Consume plenty of cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, and cabbage may reduce levels of two kinds of estrogen that may cause breast cancer.

Add turmeric to your diet
In animals studies, turmeric prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs and may prevent its occurrence as well.

Eat more eggs
In one study, women who consumed at least 6 eggs per week lowered their risk of breast cancer by 44%.

Get plenty of vitamin D
Studies show that women who live in places with less sunlight have higher rates of breast cancer. Other research has found lower levels of vitamin D in women with breast cancer compared to women without the disease. Several studies point to vitamin D as an important factor in the prevention and survival rate of many types of cancer.

There's no guarantee that anything will prevent breast cancer but doing some or all of the above just might tilt the odds in your favor and they're all good things to do for your body whether you're concerned about breast cancer or not.

---

White Breast Cancer Patients More Likely to Get Chemo

2007-10-09T01:52:45Z

A new study has found that white women with breast cancer are three times more likely than black women to receive chemotherapy treatment and five times more likely to receive Tamoxifen treatment than black breast cancer patients.

Part of the problem may be that doctors treat white patients differently than black patients.

... one factor may be physicians' ability to communicate effectively with their patients.

"There has been some literature showing that physicians' perception of the patient may be affected by race," said Smitherman. "This includes perceptions of patients' ability to understand choices, a sense of affiliation with patients and the ability to engage patients."

"When we walk into a patient's room, it's not like there's pixie dust and we leave everything back at the door."

One other reason for the disparity, according to researchers, may be that many in the black community are distrustful of the medical establishment.

"There is some, perhaps appropriate, distrust of the medical community," said Smitherman. "It's been shaped from the Tuskegee study on down, and this is passed down through the generations," he added, referring to a notorious study in which black men were not informed of their diagnosis of syphilis, and in some cases, were denied treatment.

Thinking about the story we posted a couple days ago about the woman who had a double mastectomy after being misdiagnosed with breast cancer, perhaps all of us should be just a little distrustful of the medical establishment.

Racial Disparities Affect Breast Cancer Treatment

Mother's Hip Size May Affect Daughter's Breast Cancer Risk

2007-10-09T01:23:39Z

According to a new study of women in Finland published in the American Journal of Human Biology, the size and ratio of a woman's hips may influence whether or not her daughters get breast cancer.

A woman's vulnerability to breast cancer, the study found, was greater if her mother's "intercristal diameter" -- the widest distance between the wing-like structures at the top of the hip bone -- was more than 30 centimeters, or 11.8 inches. The risk also was higher if these wing-like structures were round. The breast cancer risk was 2.5 times higher for the daughters of women in whom the widest distance was more than 3 centimeters greater than the distance at the front.

According to the study, breast cancer may be established in the growing embryo in the first trimester of pregnancy when it is exposed to high levels of sex hormones circulating in the mother's body.

Hip Size Of Mothers Linked To Breast Cancer In Daughters

Misdiagnosed Woman Undergoes Double Mastectomy for No Reason

2007-10-06T23:54:40Z

A 35-year-old single mother from New York has undergone an unnecessary double mastectomy after her biopsy results were mixed up with another woman's.

"I remember the words, 'You don't have breast cancer, you never did,'" Eason said today on "Good Morning America."

The news was stunning.

"I have a philosophy that you have to laugh to keep from crying, so I try to laugh as much as I can," Eason said.

It seems unthinkable that such a thing can happen. The article suggests getting a second biopsy if you are diagnosed with cancer.

Eason is suing the laboratory that mixed up the biopsies for an undisclosed sum.

Mastectomy Mistake: 'You Don't Have Cancer'

Gatorade and the NFL Auction Pink Towels for Breast Cancer

2007-10-05T21:13:43Z

As part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Gatorade is teaming up with the NFL to raise funds for breast cancer. The NFL has declared Oct. 6 and 7 NFL Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend.

During the 14 games played on those days, players such as Peyton Manning will be using special edition pink Gatorade towels. The towels will be autographed by the players and put up for auction.

Proceeds from the auction will go to two breast cancer organizations, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

Visit the NFL auction site to take part.

All Types of Alcohol Raise Breast Cancer Risk

2007-09-27T20:24:49Z

New research suggests that three drinks per day of any type of alcohol raises a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by 30 percent.

In the past, researchers weren't sure if certain types of alcohol were riskier than others, but they now believe it doesn't matter which kind is consumed. Wine, beer, and spirits all appear to contribute to the risk.

Dr. Yan Li, the lead researcher and an oncologist at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California said, "if you drink three or more drinks a day [your breast cancer risk] -- rather than one in eight -- will be one in six."

The increase in risk was similar no matter which type of beverage was typically consumed. "It makes no difference whether women drink wine, beer or liquor in terms of their risk of breast cancer," Li said. "It's the alcohol itself. And it's the quantity consumed that increases breast cancer risk."

Though the new research found no protective properties from red wine, other studies suggest the resveratrol in red wine is protective against cancer. Some red wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, contain more resveratrol than others and it isn't clear which kind of red wine women in the latest study drank.

Acrylamide Not Linked to Breast Cancer

2007-08-25T20:44:07Z

A new study involving 100,000 U.S. women has found that acrylamide at levels found in food is not linked to breast cancer. Acrylamide is highest in fried and baked foods like French fries and potato chips. It is also found in coffee.

The leader of the study, Lorelei Mucci, ScD, said:

"At levels consumed in the diet, it appears unlikely that acrylamide in foods is related to breast cancer risk ... Although we do not rule out that very high levels of acrylamide could cause cancer, it appears that at the levels found in the diet, it is unlikely."

The same group of researchers also found no connection between acrylamide in food and bladder, kidney, and colon cancer.

Still, many experts agree that more studies on acrylamide in the diet and a link to cancer need to be done before the risk can be completely ruled out.

Typical Western Diet Increases Breast Cancer Risk

2007-07-11T21:02:33Z

A new study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention has found that post-menopausal Chinese women who eat a Western diet loaded with meat, dairy products, and sugar have a 60 percent higher risk of breast cancer than women who eat a traditional Chinese diet heavy in vegetables and soy.

The Western diet raised the risk especially high for estrogen-receptor positive tumors, raising the risk of developing this kind of breast cancer by 90 percent.

The same increased risks were not found for pre-menopausal women eating a typical Western diet.

Marilyn Tseng of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia said: "Most studies have tended to look at single dietary factors. And what was unique about this study is that we tried to describe patterns of intake -- foods that go together, that seem to occur together in the diet."

Breast Cancer Treatment Doubles Leukemia Risk

2007-02-08T00:17:18Z

A new study suggests that women 65 and older who took growth factors to boost their immune systems during chemotherapy doubled their risk of developing leukemia.

The researchers noted that the absolute risk remained small, and said the benefits of growth factors probably still outweighed their risks. But it is one more thing for cancer patients to take into account when deciding on a course of treatment.

Breast cancer treatment found to boost leukemia risk