National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October each year is designated as National breast Cancer Awareness Month to promote breast cancer awareness, share information regarding the disease and provide greater access to screening services, according to the organizers of this event.

The organizer is The National Breast Cancer Awareness month (NBCAM) organization, which it claims on its website is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies.

From what can be seen from its website, this organization intends to promote conventional treatments (which should not be a surprise, considering its association with professional medical associations), and particularly annual mammogram screening. Mammogram screening can lead to early detection and early detection can in turn result in early treatment, which may benefit both doctors who earn an income for providing the treatment, and patients who may or may not get rid of the disease for good.

Those who fear that they may get breast cancer should also remember that mammogram screening itself can increase breast cancer risk.  The United States National Toxicology Program has recognized x-rays  used in the diagnostic tool as human carcinogens.  In fact, the x-ray is the most extensively studied cancer-causing agent.

There are some alternative ways to prevent breast cancer.  Below is a summary of reports published by foodconsumer.org on diet and lifestyle and risk of breast cancer to give readers some basic ideas as to what they can do to lower their risk.

1) Studies have suggested that taking high doses of vitamin D may help reduce risk of breast cancer by 70 percent.
 
2) A new study in the journal Breast Cancer Research indicates that women with a mutation in the gene BRCA1, which predisposes women to breast cancer, should avoid putting on weight in early adulthood, especially if they plan to have children.   The study found that women with a mutation in BRCA1 were 65 percent less likely to develop breast cancer if they lost weight between 18 and 30 years of age.

3) Radiation therapy often used in breast cancer patients can lead to angiosarcoma, an uncommon yet very aggressive malignant neoplasm in the breast, according to a case report authored by Kunkel T and colleagues at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich in Munich, Germany.   The report titled "Recurrence of Secondary Angiosarcoma in a patient with post-radiated breast for breast cancer" was published in the Nov, 2008 issue of Archives of gynecology and obstetrics.

4) A recent study published in the August 18, 2008 issue of Carcinogenesis suggests that diet and lifestyle make a huge difference. The study showed that high fiber bread was significantly associated with a 25 percent decreased breast cancer risk.   High fiber bread was also linked to reduced risk of both estrogen receptor alpha positive and estrogen receptor beta positive breast cancer.

5) One study released in the April-June, 2008 issue of the Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention showed poor antioxidant status was associated with increased risk of breast cancer.   Especially low intake of vitamin A was linked with a 200 percent higher risk of the disease while low intake of vitamin E was associated with a nearly 300 percent higher risk as compared to those who had high intake of these antioxidants.   The study was conducted by Sharhar S and colleagues at National University of Malaysia.

6) A UK study reported in British Journal of Cancer (2007) 96, 1139-1146 suggests that eating processed meat can drastically increase risk for breast cancer. The study, led by E. F. Taylor at the University of Leeds in the UK,  found those who ate the highest amounts of processed meat were 64 percent more likely to have breast cancer than those who did not eat any.

7) The latest report on diet and cancer risk published by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) shows convincing evidence that alcohol intake raises risk for breast cancer.  For every 3 ounces of wine, 9 ounces of beer or 1 ounce of 80-proof liquor consumed each day, the risk can be increased by 6 to 10 percent.

8) A study in the October 1, 2008 issue of the International Journal of Cancer showed high omega 6 fatty acids in the diet could raise risk of breast cancer.    The good news is that heterocyclic amines commonly formed in protein-rich foods such as meat and fish prepared at high temperature do not appear to increase the risk.

9) Overweight women may be more likely to be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, according to a new study presented at the Population Health 2008 Conference in Brisbane.

10) A study by Dr. Theodore Widlanski and colleagues from Indiana University and the University of California and published in the journal Chemistry & Biology showed breast cancer cells can pick up bisphenol A, indicating that this chemical may have something to do with the development of breast cancer.   A study published Dec. 8 in the online edition of Reproductive Toxicology suggests that exposure of female fetuses to bisphenol A or BPA may likely increase their risk of breast cancer in adulthood.

11) Eating too much meat and sweets may increase risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, particularly those who are heavy, a new study suggests.   The Shanghai Breast Cancer Study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, found women who followed a Western-style diet full of meat; sugar, and refined grain were at a much higher risk of breast cancer compared to those who ate large amounts of vegetables, soy and freshwater fish.

12) Long term daily use of ibuprofen was linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and long term daily use of aspirin was linked to an increased risk of estrogen receptor /progesterone receptor (ER/PR)-negative breast cancer, according to a new study in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

13) Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases risk of recurrence of breast cancer, according to a new study in the journal of the National Cancer Institute.   The study showed that women with breast cancer who used hormone replacement therapy were twice as likely as those who did not to have recurrence of the disease.

Breast cancer is expected to be diagnosed in more than 185,000 women and to kill 45,000 each year in the United States.   No significant progress has been made to reduce the risk ever since the cancer war was declared in 1971.   Each year, the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign supported by medical organizations and a drug company seem only interested in rounding up women for screenings and early detection.   While early diagnosis and treatment are important, prevention is even more important.  Luckily for those who want to control the fate of their lives, there is something they can do to help prevent the disease.

By David Liu davidl @ foodconsumer dot org and edited by Rachel Stockton rachels at foodconsumer dot org