Breast Cancer

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Breast Cancer

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Breast cancer

"There are several different types of breast cancer. Ductal carcinoma begins in the cells lining the ducts that bring milk to the nipple and accounts for more than 75% of breast cancers. Lobular carcinoma begins in the milk-secreting glands of the breast but is otherwise fairly similar in its behavior to ductal carcinoma. Other varieties of breast cancer can arise from the skin, fat, connective tissues, and other cells present in the breast. … Some women have what is known as HER2-positive breast cancer. HER2, short for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2, is a gene that helps control cell growth, division, and repair. When cells have too many copies of this gene, cell growth speeds up. It’s believed that HER2 plays a key role in turning healthy cells into cancerous ones. Some women with breast cancer have too much HER2, and are therefore considered HER2-positive. … Some families appear to have a genetic tendency for breast cancer. Two variant genes have been found that appear to account for this: BRCA1 and BRCA2. … The body's reduced ability to get rid of abnormal cells leads to damage that gradually accumulates. Women carrying mutated BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 genes start with pre-existing dysfunction of this system and have a "head start" in this damaging process. Hormones are important because they encourage cell growth. High levels of hormones during a woman's reproductive years, especially when they are not interrupted by the hormonal changes of pregnancy, appear to increase the chances that genetically damaged cells will grow and cause cancer."

Types of breast cancer

Breast lumps: Types of lumps and what they mean

Highlighted Articles

Mammographic Breast Density as a General Marker of Breast Cancer Risk (Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2007)

"Overall mammographic density seems to represent a general marker of breast cancer risk that is not specific to breast side or location of the eventual cancer."

Lifetime physical activity and the risk of breast cancer: A case-control study. (Cancer Detect Prev. 2007)

"Conclusions: These data are in concordance with the hypothesis that lifetime total physical activity is associated with decreased breast cancer risk. They also suggest that recreational physical activity at ages 14-20 years is the most beneficial. In addition, these findings confirm the majority of previous reports which implicated physical inactivity as important risk factor for breast cancer."

Highlighted Internet Site

NCI - Breast Cancer (PDQ®): Prevention

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Breast Cancer

Risk Factors

NEWS:

3 drinks a day raises breast cancer risk "All types of alcohol — wine, beer or liquor — add equally to the risk of developing breast cancer in women, American researchers said Thursday. … "Any alcohol consumption will raise your breast cancer risk," Key said. "Women don't have to abstain from alcohol entirely, but they need to be aware of the risks they're taking when they have a few too many drinks."

Barbecue lovers may have higher breast cancer risk "Postmenopausal women who like barbecued and smoked meat would be wise to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables too, a new study suggests. Dr. Susan E. Steck of the University of South Carolina in Columbia and her colleagues found that postmenopausal women who consumed the most grilled, barbecued or smoked red meat over their lifetime have a 47 percent increased risk of breast cancer. Big meat-eaters who also skimped on fruit and vegetables had a 74 percent increased risk of the disease. No relationship was detected between recent patterns of meat consumption and breast cancer in postmenopausal women. "

Breast Cancer Risk: Seven Things You Should Know

Calcium deficiency may cause breast cancer spread "Dunstan pointed out that "calcium and vitamin D deficiency are easily assessed and corrected." Therefore, research in women with a high risk of breast cancer metastasis is "urgently required" to see of calcium deficiency or vitamin D deficiency are risk factors for disease progression."

Chemical Compounds Boost Breast Cancer Risk "The remaining studies involved animal or laboratory research. The researchers pointed out that animal studies are valid references, because all human carcinogens that have so far been tested in animals have also triggered tumors in animal subjects. In the animal studies alone, evidence surfaced that linked 216 chemicals to the onset of breast tumors. These included 36 industrial chemicals, 6 chlorinated solvents, 18 products of combustion, 10 pesticides, 18 dyes, four type of radiation, 47 pharmaceuticals, and 17 hormones. Of these compounds, the researchers isolated 73 that can be found in either human food or consumer products. They noted, for example, the lingering hazards associated with polychlorinated biphenyls (or PCBs), which were typically used in the production of electrical equipment until federally banned in 1979. PCBs continue to pose a risk via contaminated rivers, fish, and pre-existing building construction, the researchers warned. "

Common Household Chemical Could Raise Breast Cancer Risk "Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) is commonly used to soften polymers and plastics. It's found in everything from plastic pipes, vinyl floor tiles and carpet backing to lipstick. BBP has also been found to be an endocrine disruptor, which mimics the effect of hormones. Endocrine disruptors are known to damage wildlife and have also been implicated in reduced sperm counts and neurological problems in humans, the researchers said."

Dad can pass down hidden breast cancer gene

Dense Breasts, Hormone Levels Are Two Separate, Independent Risk Factors For Breast Cancer "Their study, published in the August 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that the relative risk of developing breast cancer in post-menopausal woman with dense breasts was 400 percent higher than in women with fatty, non-dense breast tissue, and that high versus low levels of hormones (estrogen and testosterone) increased the relative risk by 200 percent."

Early smoking boosts women's breast cancer risk "The breast cancer-promoting effects of cigarette smoking may be strongest in young women who have not yet had children, an international research team reports."

Grapefruit link to breast cancer "A study of 50,000 post-menopausal women found eating just a quarter of a grapefruit daily raised the risk by up to 30%. The fruit is thought to boost levels of oestrogen - the hormone associated with a higher risk of the disease, the British Journal of Cancer reported. But the researchers and other experts said more research was still needed. "

Hip size 'gives cancer risk clue' "Women whose mothers have big hips may be more likely to develop breast cancer, research suggests. A study led by the University of Southampton found breast cancer rates were more than three times higher among women whose mothers had wide hips. … The American Journal of Human Biology study suggests high levels of the sex hormone oestrogen are to blame. "

Meats, Sweets May Boost Breast Cancer Risk "A study of older Chinese women suggests that a move toward a Western-style diet -- heavy on meat and sugary foods -- boosts breast cancer risk. Postmenopausal Chinese women who ate a diet that included red meat, starches and sweets were twice as likely to develop breast cancer than those who ate the traditional vegetable-soy-fish diet, according to a study in the July issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. "

Moderate drinking ups breast cancer risk "A new study suggests that drinking a single alcoholic beverage daily may increase a woman's risk of developing invasive breast cancer by 9 percent. Drinking just over two drinks daily may increase their breast cancer risk by 32 percent, Dr. Shumin M. Zhang of Harvard Medical School in Boston and colleagues found. "

New Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes Identified "The researchers identified 4 genes positively associated with genetic susceptibility to breast cancer. They are FGFR2, TNRC9, MAP3K1, and LSP1. Most previously identified breast cancer susceptibility genes are involved in DNA repair, but the associations identified by this group appear to relate more to the control of cell growth or to cell signaling. Only 1 of the genes — FGFR2 — had a clear prior relevance to breast cancer."

Oral Contraceptive Use Increases Risk for Premenopausal Breast Cancer " Oral contraceptive (OC) use is associated with increased risk for premenopausal breast cancer, according to the results of a meta-analysis reported in the October issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings."

Red meat 'ups breast cancer risk' " Older women who ate one 2oz portion a day (57 grams) had a 56% increased risk compared with those who ate none, the British Journal of Cancer reports. And those who ate the most processed meat, such as bacon, sausages, ham or pies, had a 64% greater risk of breast cancer than those who refrained."

Strong evidence of a genetic determinant for mammographic density, a major risk factor for breast cancer. (Cancer Res. 2007)

Study: Chemicals in Lipstick Can Trigger Breast Cancer "CHEMICALS found in lipstick and nail varnish could trigger breast cancer, scientists warned yesterday. A study has shown that butyl benzyl phthalate, or BBP, can interfere with the healthy development of breast tissue. Environmental campaigners yesterday called for it to be banned in the cosmetic industry, where it is used to make products glossy. The man-made substance is part of the phthalate family of chemicals, which mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen. Phthalates are widely used to soften plastics and are found in food packaging, toys, carpets and solvents."

Tonsillectomy May Raise Breast Cancer Risk for Some Women "Women who had their tonsils removed in childhood may be at increased risk of developing pre-menopausal breast cancer … Previous epidemiologic findings have linked tonsillectomy to increased risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia and cancers of the breast and prostate. "Our study adds to the evidence that tonsillectomy is associated with cancer risk," Brasky said. … The finding supports accumulating evidence that childhood exposures influence the risk of breast cancer in adulthood, Brasky noted. Further research looking at the role of childhood infections in breast cancer risk is warranted, he and his colleagues conclude."

Weight Gain in Adulthood Linked to Increased Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk "Obesity predicts a higher risk for breast cancer, and this effect is probably mediated through increased production of endogenous estrogens in adipose tissue. The authors of the current study note that most research has found only a modest effect (increased risk for 1.6 or less) of obesity in the risk for breast cancer, and this risk seems to be stronger among women who do not use MHT. Moreover, most research has not found a strong link between weight loss and a reduced risk for breast cancer."

Young, Black Women at Higher Risk of Aggressive Breast Cancer "U.S. breast cancer patients with a particularly deadly form of the disease are more likely to be poor, black or Hispanic, and under 40 years of age, new research shows. Patients diagnosed with "triple-negative" breast cancer lack three key hormonal cancer markers that are present in most other forms of the disease, experts explain. The absence of these cell receptors deprives doctors and patients of critical diagnostic information and prime targets for treatment, reducing a patient's therapeutic options and undercutting her expected survival."

ARTICLES:

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

Active and passive smoking, IL6, ESR1, and breast cancer risk. (Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2007) "These data suggest that breast cancer risk is associated with active and passive smoking."

Adiposity, adult weight change, and postmenopausal breast cancer risk. (Arch Intern Med. 2007) "CONCLUSION: Weight gain throughout adulthood is associated with increased postmenopausal breast cancer risk in MHT nonusers."

Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer Risk in the Women's Health Study. (Am J Epidemiol. 2007) "The findings from this prospective study suggest that moderate alcohol consumption increases breast cancer risk."

Alcohol intake and breast cancer risk among young women. (Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2007) "CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that recent alcohol consumption may be associated with increased breast cancer risk in young women."

Body mass index and HER-2 overexpression in breast cancer patients over 50 years of age. (Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2007)

Cancer genetic risk assessment for individuals at risk of familial breast cancer. (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007) "AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: This review found favourable outcomes for patients' risk assessment for familial breast cancer. However, there were too few papers to make any significant conclusions about how best to deliver cancer genetic risk assessment services. Further research is needed assessing the best means of delivering cancer risk assessment, by different health professionals, in different ways and in alternative locations."

Cooked meat and risk of breast cancer-lifetime versus recent dietary intake. (Epidemiology. 2007) "CONCLUSIONS:: These results support the accumulating evidence that consumption of meats cooked by methods that promote carcinogen formation may increase risk of postmenopausal breast cancer."

Diabetes mellitus and risk of breast cancer: A meta-analysis. (Int J Cancer. 2007) "Findings from this meta-analysis indicate that diabetes is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer."

Diet and body constitution in relation to sub-groups of breast cancer defined by tumour grade, proliferation and key cell cycle regulators. (Breast Cancer Res. 2007) " CONCLUSIONS: Low energy and low total fat (polyunsaturated fatty acids in particular) intakes, and high BMI, were associated with relatively more malignant breast tumours. Dietary behaviours and body constitution may be associated with specific types of breast cancer defined by conventional pathology parameters and cyclin D1 and cyclin E expression. Further studies including healthy control subjects are needed in order to confirm our results."

Diet quality and BRCA-associated breast cancer risk (Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 2007)

Dietary Fat and Postmenopausal Invasive Breast Cancer in the National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study Cohort (JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2007) "Conclusion: In this large prospective cohort with a wide range of fat intake, dietary fat intake was directly associated with the risk of postmenopausal invasive breast cancer."

Dietary Patterns and Breast Cancer Risk in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007)

Environmental Risks for Breast Cancer "Results show there were differences in DNA methylation depending on various environmental risk factors that included race, smoking status and infant and childhood size."

Epidemiology of basal-like breast cancer. (Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2007) "Longer duration breastfeeding, increasing number of children breastfed, and increasing number of months breastfeeding per child were each associated with reduced risk of basal-like breast cancer, but not luminal A. Women with multiple live births who did not breastfeed and women who used medications to suppress lactation were at increased risk of basal-like, but not luminal A, breast cancer. Elevated waist-hip ratio was associated with increased risk of luminal A in postmenopausal women, and increased risk of basal-like breast cancer in pre- and postmenopausal women. The prevalence of basal-like breast cancer was highest among premenopausal African-American women, who also showed the highest prevalence of basal-like risk factors. Among younger African-American women, we estimate that up to 68% of basal-like breast cancer could be prevented by promoting breastfeeding and reducing abdominal adiposity."

Estimating age-specific breast cancer risks: a descriptive tool to identify age interactions. (Cancer Causes Control. 2007) "RESULTS: Breast cancer risks were elevated among women with positive family history (FH), younger age at menarche, older age at first full-term birth, nulliparity, exogenous hormonal usage, and reduced physical activity (PA)."

Estimating risk of breast cancer in carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations: a meta-analytic approach. (Stat Med. 2007)

Evidence secondhand smoke causes breast cancer in 2005 stronger than for lung cancer in 1986. (Prev Med. 2007)

Exposure to traffic emissions throughout life and risk of breast cancer: the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) study. (Cancer Causes Control. 2007) "CONCLUSION: Our findings add to accumulating evidence that early life exposures impact breast cancer risk and provide indication of potential importance of traffic emissions in risk of breast cancer."

Genetic epidemiology of BRCA mutations - family history detects less than 50% of the mutation carriers. (Eur J Cancer. 2007)

Hair dye use, meat intake, and tobacco exposure and presence of carcinogen-DNA adducts in exfoliated breast ductal epithelial cells. (Arch Biochem Biophys. 2007)

Left-handedness and risk of breast cancer. (Br J Cancer. 2007)

Hereditary Breast Cancer: Part I. Diagnosing Hereditary Breast Cancer Syndromes. (Breast J. 2007)

Mammographic Breast Density as a General Marker of Breast Cancer Risk (Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2007) "Overall mammographic density seems to represent a general marker of breast cancer risk that is not specific to breast side or location of the eventual cancer."

Meat consumption and risk of breast cancer in the UK Women's Cohort Study. (Br J Cancer. 2007) "Processed meat showed the strongest HR=1.64 (95% CI: 1.14-2.37) for high consumption compared with none. Women, both pre- and postmenopausal, who consumed the most meat had the highest risk of breast cancer."

Oral progestagens before menopause and breast cancer risk. (Br J Cancer. 2007) " Prolonged use of progestagens after the age of 40 may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and the subject needs to be investigated further."

Passive or active smoking, which is more relevant to breast cancer. (Saudi Med J. 2007) "CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the pooled analysis, it can be concluded both passive and active smoking equally increase the risk of female breast cancer."

Plasma homocysteine as a metabolic risk factor for breast cancer: findings from a case-control study in Taiwan (Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 2007) "The current study results seem to suggest a possibility that the plasma Hcy levels could be a metabolic risk factor for breast cancer."

Population attributable risks for breast cancer in Swedish women by morphological type. (Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2007)

Relationship between Age Maximum Height Is Attained, Age at Menarche, and Age at First Full-Term Birth and Breast Cancer Risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007) " … women who reached their maximum height at /=17 years of age (P(trend) = 0.04). This association was primarily limited to more aggressive tumors, specifically those that were estrogen receptor-negative … Age at maximum height seems to be an independent risk factor for breast cancer that is more strongly associated with relatively aggressive tumors that have a poorer prognosis compared with the types of tumors that are associated with ages at menarche and first full-term birth."

Reproductive History and Risk of Second Primary Breast Cancer: The WECARE Study. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007) "CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest age at menarche and parity, which are established risk factors for first primary breast cancer, are associated with CBC, whereas other reproductive risk factors associated with first primary breast cancer, such as age at first FTP, are less important factors in the development of CBC."

Risk factors for breast carcinoma in situ versus invasive breast cancer in a prospective study of pre- and post-menopausal women (Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 2007)

Risk factors for early age at breast cancer onset--the "COSA program" population-based study. (Anticancer Res. 2007) "RESULTS: The use of oral contraceptives (OC) increased the risk of early cancer development (odds ratio = 1.84, 95% confidence interval = 1.38-2.44). The age at first OC use appeared to be a major factor since the risk decreased when OC use was after the age of 23 years (odds ratio = 0.52, 95% confidence interval = 0.34-0.79). A duration of breast-feeding greater than 26 weeks decreased the risk of early cancer development (odds ratio = 0.62, 95% confidence interval = 0.39-0.97). No overall association was found with anthropometric or lifestyle factors and early age at breast cancer onset. CONCLUSION: OC use, age at first OC use and lactation were significantly associated with an early age at breast cancer onset. Thus, a number of "risk factors" could be considered as "early onset risk factors"."

Ten genes for inherited breast cancer. (Cancer Cell. 2007)

The aged breast. (J Pathol. 2007) "There is a clear association between the development of breast cancer and increasing age, with 80% of cancers occurring in women more than 50 years of age and one-third in women over 70 years. Following the menopause the breast undergoes involution, with the main changes affecting the terminal ductal lobular unit."

Time-lag estimate between dietary intake and breast cancer mortality in Japan. (Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007) "It is deduced from the results that the increased MBC in Japanese women is related to the long-term effect from the intake of a high-fat, high-animal protein and low-fiber diet typical in the western world."

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