Excess Weight and Breast Cancer Risk
- Jo Atkins, 50, says losing weight allowed her to notice her breast cancer lump at an earlier stage.
- Breast cancer is a common cancer that has been the subject of much research, so there are many treatment options out there. Mammograms, a standard screening procedure for breast cancer, and self breast exams can save lives.
- Excess weight can put women at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. So, it’s a good idea to exercise regularly and try to live an overall healthy lifestyle.
Atkins, from London, England, was determined to lose weight after reaching over 200 pounds and watching her husband suffer from a severe stroke that left him paralyzed on the right side.
Read MoreAtkins joined a weight loss program and decided to eat healthier in 2017. Later that same year, she noticed a lump in her breast.
“I was laying in bed watching [TV] one evening and noticed it as I turned over,” she said.
She didn’t think too much of it initially, but decided to make an appointment about a week later. That’s when doctors discovered her stage two breast cancer. For treatment, she underwent surgery, six rounds of chemotherapy and 20 sessions of radiotherapy.
Atkins is cancer-free and thriving in 2022. She’s still involved with her diet group, and today she weighs 119 pounds.
“I am convinced if I hadn't lost the weight and that fat tissue hadn't gone, there's no way I would have felt that lump,” she said.
Understanding Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a common cancer that has been the subject of much research. Many women develop breast cancer every year, but men can develop this cancer too though it is more rare, in part, due to the simple fact that they have less breast tissue.
Screening for breast cancer is typically done via mammogram, which looks for lumps in the breast tissue and signs of cancer. The American Cancer Society (ACS) says women should begin yearly mammogram screening for breast cancer at age 45 if they are at average risk for breast cancer. The ACS also says those aged 40-44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year, and women age 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms.
It's also important to be on top of self breast exams. If you ever feel a lump in your breast, you should be vigilant and speak with your doctor right away. Voicing your concerns as soon as you have them can lead to earlier cancer detection which, in turn, can lead to better outcomes.
There are many treatment options for people with this disease, but treatment depends greatly on the specifics of each case. Identifying these specifics means looking into whether the cancerous cells have certain receptors. These receptors the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor and the HER2 receptor can help identify the unique features of the cancer and help personalize treatment.
"These receptors, I like to imagine them like little hands on the outside of the cell, they can grab hold of what we call ligands, and these ligands are essentially the hormones that may be circulating in the bloodstream that can then be pulled into this cancer cell and used as a fertilizer, as growth support for the cells," Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
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One example of a type of ligand that can stimulate a cancer cell is the hormone estrogen, hence why an estrogen receptor positive breast cancer will grow when stimulated by estrogen. For these cases, your doctor may offer treatment that specifically targets the estrogen receptor. But for HER2 positive breast cancers, therapies that uniquely target the HER2 receptor may be the most beneficial.
Understanding Breast Cancer Risk
Risk for developing breast cancer varies greatly from person to person, so it’s important to discuss your specific risk level with your doctor. That being said, there are some important risk factors to keep in mind.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Comen laid out several risk factors for breast cancer including:
- Being a woman: Women are at a higher risk for breast cancer, though men can get the disease too.
- Age: “Breast cancer becomes increasingly more common as women age,” Dr. Comen said.
- Family history: “Some people think that breast cancer is only inherited through genes on the mom’s side,’ Dr. Comen said. “But it can also be related to genetic mutations that could be found on the father’s side.”
- Having had a prior biopsy on an abnormal area: “There are different markers, that if a woman has had a biopsy, it’s important that she talk to her doctor about whether those markers are lending themselves to an increased risk of breast cancer,” Dr. Comen said. If you’ve had a biopsy that indicated atypical hyperplasia, for example, you are at an increased risk of breast cancer. Atypical hyperplasia isn’t cancer, but it is a precancerous condition that describes an accumulation of abnormal cells in the milk ducts and lobules of the breast.
- Radiation exposure: Cancer survivors who’ve had radiation to their chest are at an increased risk of breast cancer.
- Lifetime estrogen exposure: “About 2/3 of breast cancer are driven by the hormone estrogen,” Dr. COmen said. “So, that means if a woman has had her period at an early age and started to go through puberty at an early age, at seven, eight, nine, and potentially a later age of menopause, means that her lifetime of having had menstrual periods and being exposed to higher levels of estrogen is higher, and therefore her risk of breast cancer is slightly higher.”
- Not having a child before age 30 or never having children.
- Obesity
- Drinking alcohol
- Lack of exercise: “While there’s more research to be done in this area, it looks like if a woman is not exercising, she may also increase her risk for breast cancer,” Dr. Comen said.
Excess Weight & Breast Cancer Risk
Heavy alcohol consumption and obesity have been linked to a number of cancers, so it's a good idea to exercise and maintain a diet that incorporates more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins while decreasing sodium and added sugar intake.
And looking at breast cancer more specifically, it’s important to know that excess weight can put women at a higher risk of developing this disease. So, maintaining a healthy diet and regularly exercising is one way to reduce your breast cancer risk.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Comen explained why carrying around excess weight can increase your breast cancer risk.
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"We know that when women are overweight, they can have a state of inflammation in their bodies," she said. "Some of those fat cells can make estrogen. And we know that being exposed to too much estrogen over a woman's lifetime can significantly increase her risk of breast cancer."
Lifestyle Changes You Can Make
So, what can you do to reduce your breast cancer risk? Well, one thing is to exercise regularly. And that doesn’t mean you have to go out and train for marathons all the time, but trying to stay physically active can make a big difference.
In fact, the National Cancer Institute shared a a 2016 meta-analysis showing that, “the most physically active women had a 1221% lower risk of breast cancer than those who were least physically active.”
Another way to try to minimize your breast cancer risk is to eat a healthy diet. And similar to exercise, overall health is key so you don’t have to always skip dessert. That being said, one thing you might want to limit when considering your breast cancer risk is our alcohol intake.
Alcohol Can Increase the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer
We know there's a clear link between breast cancer and alcohol consumption. In November 2017, the American Society of Clinical Oncology published a statement citing evidence that links alcohol to multiple cancers and calling for reduced alcohol consumption as a way to cut people's cancer risk.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Comen says that every drink consumed increases cancer risk.
"What that means is a linear response to risk, meaning that each drink increases a woman's risk for breast cancer. So binge drinking, it's not good for anybody," Dr. Comen said. "And it's also not good for a woman's increased risk of breast cancer."
So, should you ditch the cocktails altogether? Dr. Comen advises for moderation.
"Patients ask me this all the time, 'Well, how much can I drink?’" she said. "If you want to have absolutely no risk from alcohol, then don't drink at all. But probably having less than four glasses a week of alcohol is probably OK."
Moreover, healthy food recommendations for cancer-related concerns can differ depending upon who you ask, but following old standbys for an overall healthy diet like incorporating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins while decreasing sodium and added sugar intake is a good place to start. Regardless, we recommend you talk with your doctor about what a healthy diet for cancer-related concerns should look like for you.
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