All Slideshows » The Real Causes of Breast Cancer

The Real Causes of Breast Cancer

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  Alcohol
  Theory: Many studies have shown that alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer, even at moderate amounts. Women who have more than two drinks a day increase their risk one and half times that of a woman who drinks less.
  Comment: The evidence shows that the link between breast cancer and alcohol is strong. Dr. Moffat says, Even small amounts can have an impact. Cutting back on alcohol intake is one of the best ways of reducing your risk.
  Conclusion: Strong Link
  http://www.thirdage.com/breast-cancer/real-causes-breast-cancer
• Alcohol
  

  Theory: Many studies have shown that alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer, even at moderate amounts. Women who have more than two drinks a day increase their risk one and half times that of a woman who drinks less.

  Comment: The evidence shows that the link between breast cancer and alcohol is strong. Dr. Moffat says, Even small amounts can have an impact. Cutting back on alcohol intake is one of the best ways of reducing your risk.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Stress
  

  Theory: An Israeli study claimed that women who experience more than one stressful event throughout their lifetime are at greater risk of developing breast cancer.

  Comment: Dr. Moffat says that evidence proving a link between stress and breast cancer is weak. She added, The problem is that its very hard to measure or even define stress. And stressful situations can make some people more likely to take up unhealthy behaviors such as smoking or heavy drinking.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  

  Theory: Evidence shows that combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which uses estrogen and progesterone, can increase the risk of breast cancer, especially if used over longer periods of time.

  Comment: According to Dr. Moffat, HRT is still an effective short-term treatment for menopausal symptoms. Using HRT for a few years doesnt greatly increase your risk, but the longer you stay on it, the higher your risk becomes. Only five years after stopping will your risk return to that of a woman who has never used HRT.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Trauma to Breasts
  

  Theory: Physical trauma to the breast can lead to the development of breast cancer.

  Comment: There is no strong evidence to suggest this. Dr. Moffat says that Cancers are fundamentally caused by faulty or damaged genes and take a very long time to develop. Rather, recent injuries to the breast will lead physicians to examine it more carefully, drawing attention to tumors that were already there.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
• Weight Gain
  

  Theory: The chance of getting breast cancer after menopause increases if you gain weight. A woman who puts on around thirty pounds throughout her adult life before going through menopause doubles her risk for getting the disease.

  Comment: The link between weight gain and breast cancer is strong. Maintaining a healthy body weight can reduce your risk of getting the disease. Dr. Moffat notes that Fat is not inactive its actually pumping out hormones and other chemicals that can affect your risk of disease.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Household Cleaning Products
  

  Theory: Some believe that household cleaning products lead to a higher risk of breast cancer, particularly after a recent US study found that women who used air freshener sprays were twenty percent more likely to develop the disease.

  Comment: There is no strong evidence that links cleaning products to breast cancer. Dr. Moffat notes that the studys subjects may have had recall bias, in which their memories were affected by their beliefs of what is true. This may be the case in this study especially because women were asked to recall insignificant behavior from years before.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
• Using the Pill
  

  Theory: Taking the Pill, which contains both estrogen and progesterone, will increase your risk of breast cancer. It can take ten years of being off the Pill to bring your risk back down to levels as if you had never taken it.

  Comment: While there is strong evidence suggesting that the Pill slightly increases your risk of developing breast cancer, Dr. Moffat also points to the fact that the Pill can also protect against other cancers. She notes, It halves a womans risk of ovarian and womb cancers, and this protective effect continues for about 15-20 years after stopping.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Underwire Bras
  

  Theory: It had been suggested that wearing an underwire bra will obstruct lymph flow and put pressure on lymph nodes in the armpit.

  Comment: There is no strong evidence linking underwire bras to breast cancer. Rather, it has been theorized that women who dont wear bras regularly tend to be thinner, which is the actual reason for their lower risk of getting breast cancer.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
• Smoking
  

  Theory: A study from the California Environmental Protection Agency found that secondhand smoke and breast cancer have a causal association amongst pre-menopausal women. Additionally, exposure to smoking during childhood and puberty may also lead to breast cancer.

  Comment: According to Dr. Moffat, even though there is no definite link between smoking and breast cancer, we do know that the chemicals in cigarette smoke can cause at least a dozen different types of cancer around the body, so theres still every reason to try to be a non-smoker and avoid passive smoke when you can.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Not Breast Feeding
  

  Theory: Research has suggested that women who breast feed their babies longer have a lower risk for developing breast cancer. It could be because breast feeding reduces a womans number of menstrual cycles, lowering her exposure to estrogen and progesterone.

  Comment: Dr. Moffat agrees with the research: the longer a woman breastfeeds, the lower her risk of cancer.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Anti-Perspirants
  

  Theory: It was originally theorized that wearing deodorant prevents toxins from leaving the body through sweat, and because those toxins occur around the breast, breast cells can become cancerous. However, no major studies have proven this theory.

  Comment: The evidence for a link between antiperspirants and breast cancer is weak. According to Dr. Moffat, Concerns about deodorants and breast cancer started with an email hoax, and there are no facts behind this claim.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
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• Alcohol
  

  Theory: Many studies have shown that alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer, even at moderate amounts. Women who have more than two drinks a day increase their risk one and half times that of a woman who drinks less.

  Comment: The evidence shows that the link between breast cancer and alcohol is strong. Dr. Moffat says, Even small amounts can have an impact. Cutting back on alcohol intake is one of the best ways of reducing your risk.

  Conclusion: Strong Link

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