Obesity, estrogen breakdown tied to breast cancer

	Tweet

Among women not using hormone therapy, obesity and the byproducts of estrogen breakdown appear to raise the risk of breast cancer, according to findings published in the International Journal of Cancer.

“Hormone therapy and body mass index (BMI) have been associated with postmenopausal breast cancer,” Dr. Francesmary Modugno, of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues write. “Because estrogen metabolism may affect breast cancer risk and can be altered by weight and hormone therapy, it might play a role in the hormone therapy-BMI-breast cancer associations.”

BMI is the ratio of body weight and height, and a score of 30 or higher is considered obese.

The researchers analyzed data from subjects enrolled in the Observational Study of the Women’s Health Initiative to examine relationships among obesity, hormone therapy, estrogen metabolism and breast cancer. They compared levels of two estrogen metabolic chemicals, 2-OHE1 and 16-alpha-OHE1, in 200 women who developed breast cancer and in 200 who did not.

In women who used hormone therapy, there was a modest but significant increase in 16-alpha-OHE1 and significantly higher 2-OHE1 levels in both groups. For these subjects, there was no association among BMI, estrogen metabolism and breast cancer risk.

For women who did not use hormone therapy, however, “greater BMI and higher 16-alpha-OHE1 were individually and jointly associated with increased cancer risk,” the investigators found. Compared with women with low BMI and low estrogen metabolite levels, those with a high BMI and high 16-alpha-OHE1 were 3.5-times more likely to develop breast cancer.

Estrogen metabolism is affected by both BMI and hormone therapy, the team concludes, “potentially explaining the interaction between BMI and hormone therapy in relation to breast cancer risk.”

SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer, March 2006.

RELATED STORIES:
Researcher Details Role of Apples in Inhibiting Breast Cancer   BPA exposure in utero may increase predisposition to breast cancer   Breast Cancer Patients with Greater Need Seek More Information Online   Mammograms saved lives of women under 50: study   Breast MRI Detects Additional “Unsuspected” Cancers Not Seen on Mammography or Ultrasoun   Drug combo ups breast cancer survival-study   Taxol-type Drugs Give Slight Boost to Survival Rates in Early Breast Cancer   Alcohol may raise chances of breast cancer return   Breast Cancer Cells Outsmart the Immune System and Thrive   Additional, specialized radiation not necessary for some women after mastectomy   Overeating plus inactivity ups breast cancer risk   A New Gamma Camera Technique for the Detection of Small Breast Tumors   Breast Cancer Incidence Among Iraqi Women Profiled   Plant compound reduces breast cancer mortality   Man wins right to Herceptin for breast cancer   Fox Chase researchers uncover Achilles’ heel in aggressive breast tumors   Eating Meat Does Not Raise Breast Cancer Risk in Older Women   Metabolic syndrome linked to breast cancer   Obesity common in women at risk of breast cancer   Consider the breast and lungs when determining thoracic imaging protocols   Breast cancer gene testing less likely among blacks   Radiotherapy aids breast cancer survival: study

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]