Breast Cancer Linked to Obesity and Estrogen Breakdown
According to the international Journal of Cancer, women who are not using hormone therapy and are obese, run a risk of breast cancer when the estrogen breaks down releasing its byproducts in them.
Hormone therapy and BMI (body mass index) are associated with post-menopausal breast cancer in women. Since 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. The research data was analyzed from the subjects who were enrolled in the Observational Study of the Women's Health. The research was undertaken to examine the relationship among obesity, hormone therapy, estrogen metabolism and breast cancer.
The levels of two estrogen metabolic chemicals, 2-OHE1 and 16-alpha-OHE1, were compared in 200 women who developed breast cancer and 200 women who didn't.. There was a modest but a significant increase in 16-alpha-OHE1 and significantly higher 2-OHE1 levels in both groups. 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.
Source: reuters.co.uk, February 24, 2006 |
