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Obesity can wreck a person’s health for many reasons. But for women, too much weight tacks on an additional danger: Studies have linked obesity and breast cancer in a variety of ways.

Doctors aren’t sure why this link exists and are trying to figure out what ties weight gain to breast cancer. But they are more and more convinced the link is there, and they are urging women to watch their weight and increase their exercise to help stave off what is the most common cancer among females, nonmelanoma skin cancer aside.

“There are a lot of factors we need to figure out,” said Dr. Jennifer A. Ligibel, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “There are a lot of things we don’t know.”

An estimated 182,500 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2008, according to the American Cancer Society, and about 40,480 women will die from the disease this year. Currently, there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

Studies have found that, in general, obesity is linked to cancer. The higher a person’s body-mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height), the more likely she or he will develop cancer, according to recent research by scientists at the University of Manchester in England. Other studies have found similar links to increased body fat.

Still other studies have found that women with breast cancer are more likely to live shorter lives and suffer a recurrence of their cancer if they are overweight.

For example, in a recent study conducted at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, more than two-thirds of women with stage III locally advanced breast cancer were either overweight or obese. The study also found that a greater proportion of obese patients were likely to be diagnosed with a rare and more deadly form of breast cancer, known as inflammatory breast cancer.

Scientists vary in their opinions on why this link exists, and what it means.

Some believe that obesity may make tumors harder to detect, so a woman’s breast cancer will be further developed before it is discovered.

“It could be because there’s more breast tissue, a lump would be less evident,” Ligibel said.

Researchers also believe that the systemic effects of obesity might do something to spur cancer on. For example, obesity or overweight can lead to fluctuations in hormone levels in the body.

“When women are heavier, their estrogen levels are higher,” Ligibel said. “That could be a pathway through which weight affects breast cancer. Other studies have shown that when insulin levels are high, there’s more chance a cancer will come back.”

Another link to obesity was found in a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that showed that obese women are more likely to skip screenings for breast and cervical cancer. Without those screenings, women are less likely to catch breast cancer at a more treatable stage.

Debbie Saslow, director of breast and gynecologic cancer at the American Cancer Society, said it’s not completely clear what role obesity plays in breast cancer risk.

“For obesity, which is independent of breast size, I would think two factors would come into play,” Saslow said. “One, a positive, is that the breasts may be fattier, which would make a mammogram easier to read. The second, a negative, is indirect: Obese women are less likely to go to a doctor.”

Menopause appears to be a critical time, Ligibel said. Obesity creates a greater risk for breast cancer post-menopause, while pre-menopausal women actually have a reduced risk.

“Gaining weight around the time of menopause is a risk factor in developing breast cancer,” Ligibel said.

The increased risk of developing breast cancer and dying of it after menopause is believed due to increased levels of estrogen in obese women, said Colleen Doyle, director of nutrition and physical activity with the American Cancer Society.

There is good news. Studies have shown that exercise — 30 minutes to 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-high intensity physical activity — decreases breast cancer risk, Doyle said.

“Physical activity reduces breast cancer risk both directly, by decreasing circulating estrogens, and also indirectly, by helping with weight control,” she said. “Women are so concerned about breast cancer risk. Communicating that there are key things you can do to reduce risk — watch your weight and be more active — are valuable messages.”

Ligibel agreed, noting that exercise might be valuable enough to counteract the strain on the body caused by obesity.

“You might not need to lose weight if you exercise,” Ligibel said. “Exercise could affect the hormone levels and help keep cancer from occurring or recurring.”

By HealthDay

Giving young women educational materials about the risks of indoor tanning helps them find healthier alternatives for changing appearances, a study says.

Six months after 430 college-age women received a booklet focused on the damaging effects of tanning and ultraviolet radiation, specifically related to indoor tanning, on the skin’s appearance, about 35 percent of the women reduced their time in tanning booths from the previous year. Similar changes in attitude toward future intentions to tan were also noted.

However, the researchers found the participants’ perceptions of susceptibility to skin damage or skin cancer from indoor tanning did not change.

The booklet also emphasized tanning abstinence and recommended other appearance improving alternatives, such as exercise, sunless tanning products and choosing fashions that do not require a complimentary tan.

The study, conducted by a team from the School of Public Health at East Tennessee State University, was expected to be published in the Dec. 1 issue of Cancer.

The authors concluded that their effort “supports the use of intervention messages to change young people’s ultraviolet risky behaviors and ultimately reduce skin cancer morbidity and mortality.”

More than 1.3 million skin cancer diagnoses, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths, are made annually in the United States.
By HealthDay

Is there a link between moisturizers and skin cancer?

According to a new study by researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey, several commonly used skin creams may cause skin tumors – at least in mice, Reuters reported.

Dr. Allan Conney, professor of cancer and leukemia research at Rutgers, discovered the risk while testing a theory that caffeine could prevent skin cancer, according to the report.

“We sort of got into this by accident,” Conney told Reuters. “We wanted a safe cream that we could put the caffeine into.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women. Breast cancer mostly occurs in women over the age of 50, and the risk is especially high for women over age 60. Breast cancer is also found to occur more often in white women than African American or Asian women.

Each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes. Within each lobe are many smaller lobules (milk producing glands). Lobules end in dozens of tiny bulbs that can produce milk. The lobes, lobules and bulbs are all linked by thin tubes called ducts (milk passages that connect the lobules and the nipple). Fat surrounds the lobules and ducts. These ducts lead to the nipple in the center of a dark area of skin called the areola. There are no muscles in the breast, but muscles lie under each breast and cover the ribs.

Each breast also contains blood vessels and lymph vessels. The lymph vessels carry colorless fluid called lymph, and lead to small bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes. Clusters of lymph nodes are found near the breast in the axilla (under the arm), above the collarbone, and in the chest. Lymph nodes are also found in many other parts of the body.

A quarter of children’s clothing could be failing to give proper protection from the sun’s harmful rays, experts have warned.
A team from the Health Protection Agency tested 100 items of child clothing from high street stores.
Using the same measure of cover against UV rays as sun lotions, they found 25% offered less protection than factor 15.
The items offering the least protection were dresses, followed by shirts. Swimwear came out the best.
Parents have the right to know what protection from the sun clothes are giving
Dr Jill Meara, deputy director of the HPA’s radiation protection division
The team believes it is partly down to the weave of the fabric - when fibres are closer together the protection is greater.
Clothes that were stretched or got wet would offer less protection, she said.
Dr Jill Meara, deputy director of the HPA’s radiation protection division, said clothing companies should give information about sun protection on their products.
She said labels could carry a sun protection factor in the same way that sun creams do.
Speaking at the HPA’s annual conference at the University of Warwick, she said: “I think parents have the right to know what protection from the sun clothes are giving.
“Most people do not realise that just because you are covered up, it does not mean that you are totally protected against UV rays.”
Holding the material up to the light is a good way to see how much light and UV rays will get through
Jo Viner Smith of Cancer Research UK
Each year there are 100,000 new cases in the UK of skin cancer, which is linked to UV radiation.
Cancer Research UK encourages people to cover up with both sun cream and clothing.
JoViner Smith, Cancer Research UK’s SunSmart campaign manager, said: “We advise people to look for T-shirt materials with a close weave and in darker colours as they will block out the most UV rays.
“Holding the material up to the light is a good way to see how much light and UV rays will get through. People should be aware that the protection of clothing is reduced when it is stretched or wet and other sun protection measures should be used.
“The SunSmart campaign warns that clothing doesn’t cover all your skin, so on hot summer days we advise people to wear a hat and sunglasses, find some shade around midday, and apply SPF15+ sunscreen to exposed areas.”
Some retailers already declare the UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) on their clothing. This is voluntary.
The test itself is relatively simple and can be applied to all garments. Any garment with labels displaying a claim of UV protection should conform to those claims.

Breast cancer diagnoses reach record high but more women surviving
The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer is at an all time high and the trend shows no sign of decreasing, according to official figures.Data from the Office of National Statistics shows an 81 per cent increase in new cases in England since 1971, with breast cancer accounting for one in three cancers in women. Experts said yesterday that age probably contributes most to the figures since women are living longer and breast cancer is largely a disease of older women. But modern lifestyle also plays a significant part.Obesity, having no children or fewer children and later in life, drinking alcohol and hormone treatments like the Pill, and hormone replacement therapy, all raise the risk of breast cancer to some extent.Breast cancer screening also increases the number of diagnoses in a year.The figures show that in England in 2004 there were 36,939 diagnoses but deaths from breast cancer have also fallen dramatically. Since 1989 they have fallen by a fifth to 12,417 a year and the death rates continue to fall.The figures show that the second most common cancer in women was bowel cancer with 13,020 new cases in 2004. There were 12,337 new cases of lung cancer in women and all female cancer, excluding skin cancer, amounted to 115,816 in that year.Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK’s director of cancer information, said: “Women should be aware that breast cancer risk increases with age, rising steadily after the menopause. Four out of five cases of the disease are diagnosed in women over 50.”The steady increase in the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK over the past 30 years is most likely linked to the growing trend of women having fewer children, breast feeding for only short periods and starting families later.”Also, the increase in the average body weight for women has risen in the past three decades, and in post-menopausal women this is contributing to increased breast cancer risk, as are some forms of HRT if taken for prolonged periods.”Fortunately, more women are surviving breast cancer, thanks to early detection of the disease through the national screening programme and substantial improvement in treatments.”Of those women diagnosed with breast cancer today, two thirds are likely to survive for at least 20 years.”Dr Sarah Rawlings, the head of policy and information at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “Increasing age is the most important risk factor for breast cancer, with around eight out of 10 breast cancers occurring in women over the age of 50.”We’ve known for some time that breast cancer incidence is increasing – it’s likely to be mainly due to breast screening picking up more cancers and our ageing population, as well as lifestyle factors, but not all the causes are known.”Gender, family history, early periods, late menopause and not having children can all increase risk. Most of the established breast cancer risk factors are things which are outside of our control but there are some things which we can do – for instance, limiting our alcohol intake and maintaining a healthy weight after the menopause.”She said it was essential for all women to be breast aware and report anything unusual to their doctors. “The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better your chances of successful treatment.”The charity has launched a huge, 40-year breast cancer research project, the Generations Study, involving 100,000 women over 18 to try to tease out the causes