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It's that time of year again, when the colour pink becomes de rigueur, as a symbol of our fight against one of our biggest killers... breast cancer. One in eight New Zealand women are likely to develop this disease in their lifetime, with their Australian peers facing a similar lifetime risk of one in nine. Globally around 1.1 million new cases are diagnosed annually. All this suffering and death from a disease which prior to 1940 was a rare occurrence. Not only has the incidence of breast cancer skyrocketed in the past sixty years, but the face of the disease has also changed. Once considered an “older woman's disease”, increasing numbers of premenopausal women, as young as 30 are being diagnosed.
Breast Cancer Awareness month promotes a strong message of early detection. “Find breast cancer early and it does not have to be a death sentence” is the usual theme. While it's true that early detection is a life saver, prevention would surely be even better? That's the message from Auckland health researcher and holistic woman's health practitioner, Lynda Wharton.
“While vast amounts of money are poured into research, improved methods of detection, and drug therapy, women are told that we still don't know what causes breast cancer. While it's true that there is plenty yet to be learned, there is already much we know about how our daily lifestyle choices, and the environment in which we live, contribute to our risk. By no means all the variables which determine who develops breast cancer can be controlled, but many of them can be. Women need to know that in many cases they can stack the odds in their favour.”
Breast Healthy Living
1) Slim, trim and breast healthy
Weight can influence breast cancer risk in different ways depending on our age. Overweight girls are more likely to begin menstruation at an early age, and the younger a girl starts her periods, the greater is her lifetime risk of breast cancer, due to her increased lifetime exposure to estrogen. About 70% of all breast cancers are stimulated and fed by estrogen.
Before menopause, carrying extra weight seems to actually reduce breast cancer incidence, due to the lower estrogen levels common in overweight women. This changes after menopause when obese women are at a higher risk of breast cancer. Once ovaries stop making estrogen, most of our estrogen comes from the conversion of adrenal hormones into estrogen, which takes place in body fat. Therefore, the fatter we are after menopause, the higher estrogen levels are likely to be. Abdominal fat is especially likely to carry increased risk of cancer.
2) You've got to move it, move it
Exercise reduces risk of a range of diseases including breast cancer.
Pubescent girls who exercise regularly, and thus have a lower percentage body fat, begin menstruating later thus reducing their risk (see pt 1). After menopause, regular aerobic exercise helps to minimise age related weight gain, with its associated breast risk. Teenagers and young women who are the most active reduce their risk of breast cancer by 20% compared with their sedentary peers. Aim for 4 or more hours of aerobic exercise weekly to reduce breast cancer risk by 40% for post menopausal women and up to 58% for premenopausal women.
3) No safe level for radiation
There is no safe exposure level for radiation, so avoid all unnecessary exposure. If you do need to have an X ray, always request a lead apron to cover the breasts. Do not have a CT scan lightly, as the radiation exposure is many times greater than an X ray. Radiation exposure is especially risky for breast tissue at puberty and in the premenopausal years.
4) Synthetic hormones may boost risk
HRT and the oral contraceptive pill contain synthetic hormones such as estrogen and progestin. Combined HRT (estrogen and progestin) use for more than 5 years increases breast cancer risk by 26%, rising to a 50% increase after ten or more years of use. Risk begins to increase after as little as 2 years of use.
The question of whether the pill contributes to breast cancer risk remains controversial. However The 2002 Womens Lifestyle and health study found that women who have used the Oral Contraceptive Pill at any time increased their risk of breast cancer by 26% compared to all time non users. They also found that women over the age of 45 taking the pill, increased their risk by 158% compared with non users.
5) Choose Low GI for low insulin levels
The hormone insulin may influence the growth of breast cancers. High insulin levels are linked with increased risk of post menopausal breast cancer. Women who have been treated for breast cancer, and who have high insulin levels, are more likely to eventually die of their cancer. Keep insulin levels low by eating a low GI diet, supplying carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, brown rice, beans and lentils, instead of high GI carbs like refined grains and sugar.
6) Say no to alcohol
Alcohol consumption increases breast cancer risk in both pre and post menopausal women. A review of worldwide studies in 2004 (JAMA) found that breast cancer risk is highest amongst women drinking 3 or more drinks a day, but risk begins to increase with as little as one alcoholic drink daily.
7) Protect yourself from chemicals
Our environment is filled with petrochemicals and agrochemicals which can disturb the hormonal balance in our body. Exposure to these endocrine disrupters may increase our breast cancer risk. We are exposed to these chemicals through: agricultural pesticides, herbicides etc; plastics; phthalates found in perfume, hair spray, nail polish etc; bleach and bleached products such as sanitary pads, coffee filters, toilet paper; dry cleaning residues in clothing; benzene (petrol); solvents used in spray paints and paint removers; insecticides including lindane in nit treatments.
8) Choose organic
Choosing organic foods helps to reduce our exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals which work as xenoestrogens (foreign estrogens) once inside our body. One of the troublesome agrochemicals still widely used In New Zealand is Endosulfan. Banned in most other countries, Endosulfan works as a foreign estrogen in our body, disrupting our endocrine system.
9) Breast healthy diet
Choose five or more servings of a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables daily to boost cell protective antioxidants, and to increase fibre intake to move estrogen metabolites out of the body. Keep your meat intake low, or choose a vegetarian diet (vegetarians have a much lower incidence of breast cancer than meat eaters). Especially avoid processed meats, due to their high nitrate content. Keep saturated and trans fats low, and boost omega 3 and omega 9 fats such as oily fish, nuts and seeds, avocado, olive, flax, avocado and rice bran oil.
10) A little sunshine for healthy breasts
Women with the highest blood levels of vitamin D have the lowest incidence of breast cancer. American and Russian studies show that women in the sunniest parts of the country are 3 times less likely to die of breast cancer. 90% of our vitamin D comes from sun exposure, with as little as 20 minutes exposure to sunshine (without sunblock on, and in the safest sunshine hours of the day) providing up to 20,000 iu's of vitamin D. Compare this with the recommended 400 to 800iu's of vitamin D, that most women struggle to get from their diet.
For more information on breast cancer prevention, see Lynda Wharton's book Wellbeing – An essential guide to vibrant good health for women. Available at all good bookstores and online at www.lyndawharton.com.
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Lynda Wharton is an experienced and widely respected journalist, columnist, author, health researcher, speaker, acupuncturist and naturopath.
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