The information in this column is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or recommendations by the author. Please consult with your physician before making any lifestyle or medication changes, or if you have any other concerns regarding your health.

VITAMIN D & BREAST CANCER RISK

As regular readers of this column already know, Vitamin D is a very hot molecule in the world of cancer prevention research. While there have been contradictory results among various clinical research studies regarding the proper role of Vitamin D in the prevention of cancer, there is a growing tally of clinical and laboratory research studies suggesting that higher levels of Vitamin D in the blood may be associated with a lower risk of developing certain cancers. Now, another clinical research trial, just published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, adds further weight to the theory that Vitamin D may, in fact, significantly reduce the risk of developing certain cancers.

This study involved 2,465 women who were scheduled for diagnostic mammograms. Blood levels of Vitamin D were measured in these women prior to performing their mammograms. Of these nearly 2,500 women, 142 were subsequently confirmed to have a breast cancer. An additional 420 women participating in this study were matched with the newly diagnosed breast cancer patients in terms of age, menopausal status, and other factors known to play a role in breast cancer risk. (This group of 420 women turned out not to have breast cancer, following their mammograms, and so they served as a "control group" for this prospective clinical research study.)

As with several previous Vitamin D cancer prevention studies that I have previously reviewed, the results of this study were quite interesting. After analyzing their data, this study's authors determined that the women with the highest levels of Vitamin D in their blood experienced a 48 percent reduction in the relative risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer when compared to the women with the lowest levels of Vitamin D.

The evidence for a potential protective effect of Vitamin D against cancer is, arguably, strongest for colon and rectal cancer. However, there is a growing body of research hinting at a potential protective effect for Vitamin D against breast cancer, as well. (As is virtually always the case for disease prevention research, however, there have been several research studies that have failed to identify a cancer prevention benefit for Vitamin D.)

Clearly, additional research is necessary to ferret out the appropriate role of Vitamin D in cancer prevention, and large prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research (with long term follow-up of patients) will be necessary to resolve the conflicting cancer prevention research data with respect to Vitamin D. Meanwhile, given the stronger data for Vitamin D and colorectal cancer prevention (and for cardiovascular disease prevention, as well), Vitamin D remains, essentially, the only vitamin for which there is at least moderate clinical evidence supporting a potential cancer prevention benefit.



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Classification

The accepted form of Breast Cancer classification divides all the different forms of breast cancer into four distinct groups, viz. pathology, the particular grade of the tumor, the expression (by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a gene product, such as a protein) of proteins and genes, and the stage at which the tumor has reached. Each of these groupings is in accordance with different criteria and each serves a different purpose. Such classifications are normally based on the histological (anatomy of the cells) appearance of the tissue in the tumor.

Rare variants may be identified as a result of a physical examination. A typical example is that of Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). This is a particular form of a malignant cancer which is found in the ducts. This variant is distinguished from other carcinomas by the inflamed appearance of the affected breast.

Consider now the four groups in turn:

Pathology - A pathologist will identify each tumor according to its histological appearance, and other characteristics. The most common forms of breast cancer are: (a) a malignant (become progressively worse and potentially result in death) cancer in the breast's ducts (is a channel leading from an organ), and (b) a malignant cancer in the breast's lobules (is a clear anatomical division only visible histologically.

Tumor's Grade - The histological grade of a tumor is normally ascertained by a pathologist using a microscope, and applying the Bloom-Richardson grading system which examines the particular cell and tissue structure of the cancer in order to determine how aggressive and invasive the cancer may be. According to this system:
a low grade tumor closely resembles normal tissue
a high grade tumor consists of unstructured cells and therefore does not look like normal tissue
an intermediate grade tumor is positioned in between

Protein and gene expression - It is recommended that all breast cancers for the detectable effect of the estrogen receptor (a group of protein molecules that are activated by the hormone estrogen) ER, progesterone receptor (is a steroid that specifically binds progesterone) PR, and HER2/neu (is a protein associated with higher aggressiveness in breast cancers) proteins. The pathologist's report contains the results from these tests. A particular tumors expression profile forms the basis whereby the outcome can be predicted. In this way, an oncologist (is a branch of medicine dealing with tumors associated with cancer) may, more effectively, choose the most appropriate treatment of the tumor.

The stage the tumor has reached - The system used to determine the stage at which the cancer has reached is the TNM classification of Malignant Tumors (TNM). This is a particular system that has been designed to describe the extent to which a cancer has spread throughout a patient's body.

It is defined by:

"T" identifies the size of the tumor and whether or not it has invaded surrounding tissue
"N" describes which lymph nodes (act as filters or traps for foreign particles) are involved
"M" describes the incidence of metastasis (which is the spread of a disease from one organ to another organ which is not in the immediate vicinity. It is only possible for malignant tumour cells and infections to have the ability to metastasize)

Breast Cancer - How To Succeed

Peter Radford writes Articles with Websites on a wide range of subjects. Breast Cancer Articles cover Background, Symptoms, Risk, Prevention, Treatment.



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This past month, in the United States the spotlight has been on "buying pink" to fund breast cancer research.

Even with all this funding, breast cancer in women in the United States has quadrupled in the last 40 years, causing physical and emotional pain for women and their families.

Donna Eden, a medical intuitive, explains how she can "see" the energetic influence of a bra on our bodies. Especially an underwire bra stops the natural flow of energy and fluids through the lymphatic systems in our breasts.

Scientific evidence supports the connection between bras and breast disease. The theory is that bras can inhibit the proper functioning of the lymphatic system, which is an internal network of vessels and nodes that flushes wastes from the body.

Accumulated wastes and toxins from the breast can result in fibrocystic changes (benign lumps, cysts, and pain) and create a breeding ground for various problems, including cancer. Studies show that women who breastfeed and/or exercise regularly have a lower incidence of breast disease - but not as low as bra-free women.

Lymphatic circulation is highly dependent on movement. Each subtle bounce of the breast gently massages the breast and increases lymphatic flow, cleaning the breast of toxins.

Bra-free women are constantly promoting lymphatic flow. Wearing a bra constricts the natural flow. However, you may not be ready to go completely bra-free.

There is a simple and quick way you can promote lymphatic flow: Self-massage. The neurolymphatic system circles each breast, and naturally flows to the lymph nodes under the arm. Begin in the center of your chest, and massage around the top of the breasts to the outside, toward and into the underarm.

Then do the same for the underside of the breasts, beginning at the center of the chest, around the underneath of the breast to the underarm.

The best prevention is massaging each breast daily, either at night when you remove your bra, or in the shower.

At first, your breasts may be sore. Start gently, increasing the pressure as the soreness dissipates. As the toxins are released, you might experience some detox symptoms... mild to medium tiredness, sinus congestion, headaches, some cramping, etc.

Treat yourself well, drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest, and keep massaging.

Protect your breasts. This quick and easy cleansing of your lymph system could just be the safest, easiest and most effective way to reduce the risk of breast cancer, and perhaps even prevent it from ever occurring.



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At a recent international conference on breast cancer, researchers claimed they were baffled as to the cause of the increasing rate of breast cancer in poor nations. However, as a medical anthropologist examining how cultural practices lead to disease, the cause is easy to understand: Western fashion.

Women in developing nations are increasingly wearing bras, as Western culture redefines the attire for working and professional women in these previously bra-free cultures. The result is an alarming increase in breast cancer incidence in these cultures, which were previously free of this disease.

Breast cancer is a problem only in cultures where bras are worn. Around the world, where there are no bras, there is virtually no breast disease.

The 1991-93 Bra and Breast Cancer Study, published in the book, Dressed To Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras, showed that bra-free women had about the same incidence of this disease as men. On the other hand, wearing a bra 24/7 saw about a 3 in 4 chance of developing breast cancer.

Additional research in Fiji, where about half the women are bra-free, found that, given women from the same village, with the same genetics and diet, the women who are getting cancer are the ones wearing bras.

Developing nations look to the West as a model for their development. As they copy Western culture, they develop Western diseases.

The increase in incidence in developing cultures is mostly in young women, probably because many are now wearing tight bras 24/7.

Supporting the bra/cancer theory is a recent study from China, published in July, 2009, that shows wearing a bra to sleep increases cancer incidence. And a Harvard study in 1991 also found that bra-free women had half the rate of developing cancer as bra wearers.

Bras are constrictive garments designed to alter breast shape, which is accomplished by applying constant pressure to the delicate breast tissue. This constriction can impair the drainage of lymph fluid from the tissue, as the bra squeezes down on easily compressed lymphatic vessels. A healthy, unrestricted lymphatic system is essential for removing fluid and toxins from the breast tissue, and is the circulatory pathway of the immune system. Chronic compression and constriction of the breast lymphatic system by bras can result in fluid accumulation (lymphedema), breast pain, cyst formation, fibrocystic breast disease, and may lead to cancer. Signs of constriction are red marks and indentations in the skin left by the bra.

Women throughout the world need to be warned about the bra/cancer link. But don't expect the West to help. The lingerie industry is a multi-billion dollar a year business, as is breast cancer detection and treatment. It's the poor women of the world versus the business interests of the West.



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