Reducing the Risk
In my work as a GP I’m increasingly asked by patients about what they can do to reduce their risk of future health problems. We seem to be getting the message that prevention is so much better than cure. And few diseases create as much anxiety in women as the fear of breast cancer. One in 8 women will develop the problem at some time in their life. When a close family member is diagnosed with breast cancer the news can send shockwaves through the whole family. Of course everyone’s first thoughts will be with the mother, sister, or aunt affected. But with increasing awareness of genetic susceptibility thoughts soon turn to other family members and in particular what they can do to help prevent them developing the same problem.
Breast cancer is, to a small degree, an inheritable condition. But like many other cancers it can also be heavily influenced by lifestyle, and some new research has shed light on what women can do to significantly reduce their risk. Many breast tumours are what doctors call “oestrogen sensitive”, meaning that their growth is in part stimulated by the naturally occurring female hormone, oestrogen. Having too much oestrogen can increase the risk of developing breast cancer by up to three times. Smoking seems to increase the amount of circulating oestrogen. So too does drinking alcohol to excess. But researchers at the University of Oxford, whose work is published this month in the British Journal of Cancer have shown for the first time that being overweight has a stronger influence than any other lifestyle factor. Fat cells have many properties, some helpful, some not. They also secrete oestrogen, and it seems women with a high level of body fat secrete more than they need, and so increase their risk of developing breast cancer. I’ve known for a while that a high saturated fat diet increased a women’s risk. So too, and more directly it seems, does being overweight.
Unlike our genetic inheritance however, being overweight is something we can change. There are so many good reasons why we would want to return to a healthy body weight. To look and feel good today. And to secure a safe, and healthier, future.
Dr Ian Campbell
Reducing the Risk
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By Dr Ian Campbell August 2011
In my work as a GP I’m increasingly asked by patients about what they can do to reduce their risk of future health problems. We seem to be getting the message that prevention is so much better than cure. And few diseases create as much anxiety in women as the fear of breast cancer. One in 8 women will develop the problem at some time in their life. When a close family member is diagnosed with breast cancer the news can send shockwaves through the whole family. Of course everyone’s first thoughts will be with the mother, sister, or aunt affected. But with increasing awareness of genetic susceptibility thoughts soon turn to other family members and in particular what they can do to help prevent them developing the same problem.
Breast cancer is, to a small degree, an inheritable condition. But like many other cancers it can also be heavily influenced by lifestyle, and some new research has shed light on what women can do to significantly reduce their risk. Many breast tumours are what doctors call “oestrogen sensitive”, meaning that their growth is in part stimulated by the naturally occurring female hormone, oestrogen. Having too much oestrogen can increase the risk of developing breast cancer by up to three times. Smoking seems to increase the amount of circulating oestrogen. So too does drinking alcohol to excess. But researchers at the University of Oxford, whose work is published this month in the British Journal of Cancer have shown for the first time that being overweight has a stronger influence than any other lifestyle factor. Fat cells have many properties, some helpful, some not. They also secrete oestrogen, and it seems women with a high level of body fat secrete more than they need, and so increase their risk of developing breast cancer. I’ve known for a while that a high saturated fat diet increased a women’s risk. So too, and more directly it seems, does being overweight.
Unlike our genetic inheritance however, being overweight is something we can change. There are so many good reasons why we would want to return to a healthy body weight. To look and feel good today. And to secure a safe, and healthier, future.
Tags: Health, News