Breast Cancer More Common In The Overweight

By: Michael Russell

The cancer that affects more women than any other is, of course, breast cancer. What may surprise you is that breast cancer is increasing among both women and men in the United States. Many feel that our national weight problem is the cause.

This is a good news/bad news scenario. The bad news is that it appears being overweight is a risk factor for cancer, and two-thirds of all Americans are overweight. The good news is that this risk factor is one we can do something about. We not only have some control over our weight, but this is a risk factor we can prevent altogether. Even so, most people have a very hard time losing weight, even when their life depends on it.

Incidents of breast cancer have gone up 52 percent in the 25 years between 1973 and 1998. Many attribute this to the use of estrogen supplements routinely taken by women during menopause throughout that period. However, that reasoning doesn’t account for the 26 percent increase in incidents of breast cancer in men during the same time frame. Obesity is probably the underlying cause.

Obesity DOES have a proven relationship to some cancers, but not all. There is no obvious connection between being overweight and prostate cancer, for example. Even when there IS a connection, we’re not always sure why. Today experiments are taking place to find out if acid reflux, more common and routine in the overweight, may play a role in the beginnings of breast and other cancers.

With breast cancer, however, we can point to a definite culprit – estrogen. The cause/effect relationship between estrogen and breast cancer has been proven. This is why estrogen supplements during menopause are no longer as widely recommended as they once were. Estrogen is produced naturally in fatty tissues. This occurs in both men and women. In men and post-menopausal women there could be as much as 100 percent more estrogen than in normal-weight people. Therefore, overweight people have more natural estrogen and are therefore at greater risk for breast cancer.

For men, breast cancer is a growing concern; but it still falls under heart disease, prostate cancer and colon cancer as primary concerns. Therefore there simply aren’t enough studies on breast cancer in men. For women, however, good estimates exist that suggest 11 to 18 thousand deaths due to breast cancer could be avoided if post-menopausal women could control their weight.

This sounds so much easier than it is. It’s hard to lose weight, especially for the elderly. Most breast cancer is detected after the age of 60 in both men and women. People try diet after diet, exercise programs and gyms - all without any real success.

But for those who are already breast cancer survivors AND are overweight, losing those extra pounds is crucial to their health. The most effective method of weigh loss is individual counseling along with attendance at weekly meetings. Even this takes time. Most individuals will need professional guidance that is reliable and consistent. It’s a race between losing weight and cancer getting hold again. With proper help, this is a race that can be won by both men and women.

Article Source: Breast Cancer Guide