Doctors Aloud .com: All About Breast Cancer ( 2-Risk Assessment & Prevention )

Risk Assessment & Prevention

Compiled by Lisa Samet

Statistical Factors

Age: 75% of all breast cancer occurs in women over 50.
Lifetime Exposure to Estrogen: Risk increases with early menarche, no pregnancies, late menopause, birth control pills, and estrogen therapy.
Family History: Two close relatives with pre-menopausal breast cancer increases risk.
Lifetime Exposure to Radiation and Chemicals: The greater the exposure to these factors, the greater the risk.
Race: White women of European extraction are at greater risk.
Size: Larger women (in terms of height and weight) are at greater risk.

Estrogenic Factors

The most validated risk factor for breast cancer is estradiol exposure. The more menstrual cycles, the more estradiol produced, and the greater the risk. Late onset of menses, early menopause, pregnancy, and lactation reduce the number of cycles and thus the risk.

Prior to this century, the average age of menarche was 16-17, versus 11-12 currently. Five extra years of estradiol production during the teen years (when breast tissue is very sensitive to cancer initiators) significantly increases risk.

Further,

women whose cycles are shorter than 25 days have double the risk;
using conventional animal estrogens or synthetic hormone therapy for more than 5 years can nearly double the risk; and
if birth control pills have been used before the first pregnancy, before the age of 20, or for more than 5 years before the age of 35, risk is doubled or tripled.

Reproductive Factors

The shorter the period between the onset of menses and the first full-term pregnancy, the lower the risk of breast cancer. Breast cells become completely matured via pregnancy/lactation and become stabilized, and are therefore less affected by menstrual cycle hormones and actually more resistant to breast cancer.
The longer one breastfeeds, the lower the risk for (particularly pre-menopausal) breast cancer. Women who have nursed for at least 3 months cut their risk by 25%.

Hereditary Factors

Women whose mothers had breast cancer are almost twice as likely to have it themselves. In general, the older the mother when diagnosed, the lower the risk for the daughter.
Your sibling's health has a greater relationship to risk than your mother's: if your sister has breast cancer, your risk goes up 2 1/2x, and if your brother has prostate cancer, your risk goes up 4x.
At higher risk are women with a genetic fault on the BRCA-1 and -2 genes, lighter-skinned women of European descent, and larger women: those who weigh more than 154 lbs and are over 5'6" have a 3.6x greater risk than a woman under 132 lbs and below 5'3"; those with a waist-to-hip ratio over 0.81 have a 7-fold risk versus under 0.73. Post-menopausal women who are 50 lbs+ overweight are 1.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer.

Dietary Factors

High-unsaturated-fat diets are linked to breast cancer, in both the quantity and quality of fat. More fat cells produce more estrogen. A high-fat diet promotes an earlier menstrual cycle, which leads to more estrogen exposure. Mice fed a high-fat diet produce offspring with a higher risk of breast cancer. In terms of quality, most of the fats we consume contain large amounts of organo-chlorides. Hydrogenated fats (found in margarine) form trans-fatty acids which are carcinogenic. Linoleic acid (found in nuts, corn oil, and most margarine) speeds up the rate of growth of breast cancers in mice when fed at levels from 8-50% of total dietary fat.
Women who eat red meat have twice the risk of breast cancer as women who eat the same quantity of fish/poultry/dairy.
Alcohol increases risk. One-half to one drink per day increases risk by 20%; 3 drinks increases risk by 100%, because estrogen increases with alcohol consumption.
Plastic from food storage containers leaches into foods (especially when microwave-heated) and mimics cancer-promoting estrogens. Breast cancer cells have been demonstrated to grow in test tubes with these xenoestrogens.

Lifestyle Factors

Smoking: Pre-menopausal women who smoke are twice as likely to get breast cancer. Tobacco smoke contains compounds from the chemical phosphates in fertilizers, and combustion by-products from chlorine-bleached cigarette papers which both initiate cancer.
Women who regularly exercise reduce their risk by at least a third. Exercise directly decreases estradiol absorption, improves the immune response, and relieves stress.
Constant exposure to light at night (nightlights, street lights) reduces the production of melatonin. This chemical is thought to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells and increase the levels of naturally occurring antioxidants in breast cells.

Environmental Factors

Organochlorides -- from agricultural chemicals, chlorinated water, and plastics -- are likely initiate and promote breast cancer by mutating genes, altering breast cells so they absorb more estradiol, suppressing the immune system, and mimicking the effects of estrogen. Organochlorides are chlorine-based chemicals, and dioxin, a by-product of chlorine bleaching, is noted as a breast cancer promoter. Women with high levels of agricultural organochlorides in their blood are 4-10x more likely to develop breast cancer; women with breast cancer have been found to have 50-60% more pesticides/organochlorides in their tissues than women without breast cancer. Sources of these harmful chemicals are chemical farming practices, drinking and bathing in chlorinated water, bleached paper, and water pollution.
Breast tissue is quite sensitive to radiation, especially during the fertile years, and the risk of breast cancer increases with exposure to radiation. Sources of radiation are mammography; radioactive fallout from nuclear bomb testing in Nevada between 1951-63; contaminated milk, meat, fish, and vegetables; exposure to low-level radiation from nuclear waste (since 1950, breast cancer deaths among women living within 50 miles of nuclear plants have increased tenfold), and other X-rays.
Electromagnetic fields such as electrical transmission lines, microwave towers, phone cables, and EMFs (extra-low-frequency electromagnetic fields) have been demonstrated to increase the risk of breast cancer by interfering with cells' hormonal, enzymatic, and chemical signals, causing DNA damage and switched-on oncogenes. EMFs also reduce production of melatonin of which deficiencies are linked to increased breast cancer. EMFs are produced by house wiring, phone lines, computer terminals, TVs, refrigerators, hair dryers, bedside clocks, electric blankets/appliances/lines, etc.
Petrochemicals such as gasoline, kerosene, formaldehyde, and benzene may be linked to breast cancer. Breast cancer rates were 60% higher among post-menopausal women living within 1/2 mile of a chemical plant on Long Island, New York than rates in identical communities further from the plant.

More Lifestyle Factors

Poor processing of emotions. Death of a loved one has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. It is theorized that stored resentments, over-eagerness to please others at the expense of one's own feelings and needs (which get pushed inside), and buried anger are like cancer seeds. Emotionally "difficult" cancer patients actually live longer and have less recurrence.
Habitual sunscreen users have very low levels of Vitamin D, which is an anti-oxidant and inhibits the initiation phase of breast cancer.
Wearing a tight bra: In a study of 5,000 women, those who reported red marks and irritation were twice as likely to develop breast cancer. Women who wore bras for more than 12 hours a day increased their risk 6x. A tight bra encircling the chest slows lymph fluid circulation, hinders the immune response, and traps energy in the breasts. Underwire bras are the worst offenders.

Breast Cancer Prevention

Eat organically grown foods. Pesticides collect in fatty tissue, and the breast can become a reservoir. Pesticides can have an estrogenic effect. Avoid imported produce, as it tends to be more heavily sprayed. Peel waxed produce (such as apples and cucumbers).
Eat foods which are high in fiber and anti-cancer antioxidant compounds. Fiber binds to estrogen in the bowel and eliminates it. Lignans, the best sources of which are ground flax seeds or fresh oil, have anti-oxidant and anti-cancer actions, block cancer-promoting Prostaglandins, and are converted by colon bacteria into anti-estrogenic substances that block all phases of the cancer cascade. Fruit, especially apples, apricots, and figs (unsulphured), pineapple, strawberries, grapes, and orange peel, provide not only fiber but many anti-cancer compounds.
Cruciferous vegetables contain the highest levels of anti-cancer compounds. These compounds, such as sulforaphane and glucaric acid (which interferred with mammary cancer in rats), are present in broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, radishes/daikon, and greens such as collard and mustard.
Soy products are quite rich in phytochemicals, including genistein, which prevent the initiation and promotion of breast cancer. Soy also protects against the effects of radiation and chemicals: after exposure to x-rays, soy-fed rats developed breast cancer only half as often as rats not eating soy.
Tomatoes, which are rich in lycopene, strongly correlate with a lower risk of breast cancer.
Helpful bacteria and fatty acids found in yogurt inactivate the inflammatory prostaglandins and are superb for blocking cellular changes that initiate the cancer cascade. It is speculated that it is not the fat itself in yogurt that is a problem, but the hormones, antibiotics, and organochlorides stored in the fat. Stick to organic, hormone-free brands or make your own.
Olive oil is an anti-cancer food: women of Crete get 45-60% of their calories from fat, mostly fresh olive oil, yet are the least likely of any women in the Western world to die of breast cancer. Studies show a strong link between fat and breast cancer when the diet is high in linoleic acids, the main fatty acid in safflower, corn, soy, and sunflower oils. These oils are unstable and go rancid shortly after extraction. Rancid oil is a carcinogen. Anti-cancer oils include coconut, olive, ghee, and sesame. Other foods with demonstrated anti-cancer properties are green tea, almonds, beans, burdock root, carrots, garlic, ginger, lentils, seaweed, and citrus.
Eat moderate and healthy fat, as discussed previously
-- roughly 30% of total calories.
Supplements to build immunity and ensure super vitamin/mineral nutrition are a key part of preventing cancer. Recommended supplements include the standard antioxidants, vitamins C (1-10,000 mg) and E (400 mg), beta-carotene (25-100,000 mg), and selenium (200 mcg). Zinc is a good immune system nutrient, as is Ginseng, which encourages production of interferon, phagocytes, antibodies, and killer T-cells. Mushrooms, such as maitake, reishi, and shiitake, have proven tumor-shrinking properties, as well as being anti-inflammatory and immune-building.
Echinacea and astragalus are both excellent immune builders.
Essential fatty acids (preferably from cold-water fish: salmon, mackerel, or sardines; or from a non-rancid oil like coconut) decrease the level of PGEs in the blood. High levels of inflammatory Prostaglandins are found in the blood and tumors of those with breast cancer. Cancer is an inflammatory process, and quercitin and licorice root have known anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating properties.

Note: Iron is a pro-oxidant and causes free-radicals. Women with tumors had higher levels of iron in their blood. Further, low blood iron correlates with lower cancer incidence. Don't supplement with iron unless it is medically necessary.

Breast Massage/Packs

Regular breast massage stimulates lymph circulation in breast tissue and helps eliminate abnormal cells and congestion. To disperse energy, place hands under the breasts and massage inward and upward in a circular motion. This can be done at any point in the menstrual cycle.

It is ideal to use an herbal oil added to some beeswax to make an ointment. The antiseptic, softening, and healing properties of beeswax intensify the healing actions of the herbs and carry them deeper into the tissues. Recommended oils include: Burdock seed, Calendula blossom, Comfrey root (good for sore breasts), Dandelion flower, Evergreen needle, Red Clover blossom, and St. John's wort. Another benefit of breast massage is that you become familiar with how your breasts feel and are better able to detect future changes.

Castor oil was the remedy most recommended by psychic healer Edgar Cayce for resolving lumps and growths. The classic application is a hot castor oil compress made by baking flannel cloth saturated in castor oil in the oven until it is thoroughly heated. This hot compress is applied to the breasts, covered with plastic to hold in the heat, and kept on as long as possible.

Processing Emotions

Learn to speak your truth, and say what's on your mind. Be honest with yourself (and others) about your real feelings, and release stored angers, resentments, and griefs. Many people walk around with a multitude of unresolved feelings and emotions. It has been demonstrated that this has a negative effect on immunity.

It is difficult to understand sometimes what is happening beneath the surface in ourselves and in our interactions with others. Meditation, or sitting quietly, to be able to just recognize your feelings may be helpful. Surround yourself with people who encourage you to be your true self, who are not judgmental, and with whom you can talk about and process your more complex feelings.

Pay attention to sensations in your body such as heaviness in the chest, constriction around the throat, or a sick feeling in your stomach, which may be manifestations of unexpressed feelings. These are clues that you need to look deeper at something within yourself. Emotions that we "stuff away" inside don't disappear. Combined with other factors, they are seeds in the breeding ground of disease.

The Keys to Breast Health

The keys to breast health appears to be in many of the choices we make daily: eating organically grown, whole foods that are rich in nutrients and healthy fats; exercising; getting sunlight; taking care of ourselves emotionally; strengthening our immune defenses; caring for our breasts via massage and nourishment; and reducing alcohol and coffee intake.

References

Weed, Susan S. Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way. Ash Tree Publishing, 1996.
Austin, Steve, ND and Hitchcock, Cathy, MSW. Breast Cancer. Prima Publishing, 1994.
Stoppard, Miriam, Dr. The Breast Book. Random House, 1996.
The Boston Women's Health Book Collective. The New Our Bodies, Ourselves. Simon & Schuster, 1992

Saturday, March 20, 2010

All About Breast Cancer ( 2-Risk Assessment & Prevention )