Health News / October 2006
Facts and Factors
The rate of new cases of breast cancer in the US has been increasing by a little over one percent a year since the 1940’s. In the 1980’s, the rate of new cases rose markedly, probably due to increased screening, and has since begun to level off. An estimated 212,920 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women in 2006.
Every day, more studies reveal more information about who, what and why breast cancer attacks. Certain conditions, drugs and circumstances have been identified as probable cause factors that contribute to the development of breast cancer.
For exam ample, there is an association between body weight and breast cancer risk The effect that weight has on the risk of breast cancer depends on whether women are premenopausal or postmenopausal. In premenopausal women, being overweight actually offers modest protection against the disease compared to being lean. In postmenopausal women, however, being overweight increases risk of breast cancer.
Alcohol consumption also seems related to breast cancer risk Multiple studies support a link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk. When the data are assessed as a whole, drinking approximately 2-4 drinks per day appears to moderately increase the risk of breast cancer compared to not drinking. Drinking five or more drinks a day likely increases risk as well, but most studies contained few women who drank this much, making it hard to get an accurate risk estimate.
Recreational physical activity also may affect breast cancer risk It appears that regular physical activity moderately protects against breast cancer, something seen most clearly in postmenopausal women
Once actively debated, there is now solid evidence that breastfeeding can lower the risk of breast cancer. Two recent, large analyses of results from numerous breastfeeding studies found women who breastfed had a moderately lower risk of breast cancer compared to those who had not.
Overall, there appears to be a small increase in the risk of breast cancer among women who are currently using, or have recently used, birth control pills. A large pooled analysis of over 50 studies found a small increase in risk among women who were currently using the pill or had recently used it for 10 or more years. The excess risk totally disappeared 10 years after women stopped using the pill. One area under active study is how today’s lower dose birth control pills affect the risk of breast cancer. To date, studies are limited.
Age at menopause is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer. Compared to women who go through menopause at an earlier age, those who go through it later have a moderately increased risk of breast cancer.
Other ongoing studies are expected to yield additional information to arm women and medical professionals with the necessary information to conquer breast cancer.
Other possible factors under study include dietary fat consumption and breast cancer risk, fruit and vegetable consumption and breast cancer risk, carotenoid intake and breast cancer risk, soy intake and breast cancer risk
Current research also is looking at the relationship between electromagnetic fields and breast cancer risk and even hair dyes and breast cancer risk.
Tumor size is related to both breast cancer recurrence and survival. Results from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program which collects cancer-related data on a large portion of the United States plainly show that as tumor size increases, 5-year breast cancer survival decreases. Early detection remains a critical factor in the outcome of breast cancer.
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