Imagine not having breast cancer!
Those who don't gain weight or lose after 50 have fewer breast cancers.
Those who move more have fewer breast cancers and those that exercise have even fewer, and those that exercise more vigorously have even fewer breast cancers.
Those who eat foods high in polyphenols have fewer breast cancers: apples, strawberries, even coffee!
Those who regularly take Omega3 (fish oil) have fewer breast cancers.
Are you doing all of these?
In the coming blogs we will discuss even more ways to prevent breast cancer.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
What is the chance that YOU will get breast cancer?
Do you want the answer to that question and what can be done about it?
We now have the data to give each person an answer.
Using a 12 point risk assessment, we can give an individualized life-time risk for breast cancer.
More importantly, we can give a personalized plan for reducing the risk of ever getting breast cancer.
Imagine, just one short office visit with me and I will give you a written plan of action!
Call today 512-451-5788
Monday, June 6, 2011
Aromatase Inhibitors now for breast cancer prevention.
A new option for breast cancer prevention has just been presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago and printed online in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Results of the MAP.3 (Mammary Prevention.3 trial) demonstrated a 65% reduction in breast cancers in women who were high risk and took the aromatase inhibitor exemestane (Aromasin) each day.
The planned 5 year study enrolled 4500 women in the US, Canada, Spain and France. They reported at an average follow-up of 3 years at the meeting. The women were all postmenopausal with one or more of the following risk factors: 60 years of age or older, Gail risk of >1.66, prior biopsy revealing atypical ductal or lobular hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in-situ (LCIS), or prior treatment of contralateral DCIS by mastectomy.
After only 3 years of follow-up, the treated group demonstrated a 65% reduction in invasive breast cancers: the exemestane group of 2285 women had only 11 cancers but 32 cancers were reported in the placebo group of 2275 women.
Adverse symptoms such as hot flashes, fatigue, sweats, and joint aches were reported in 88% of the treated group and 85% of the placebo group. So far no adverse cardiovascular events, clots, or nonbreast cancers have been reported. Long-term use of any aromatase inhibitor leads to bone loss, which shows up later.
This adds a third prescription drug to our breast cancer prevention armamentarium, each with a slightly different rate of prevention and side effect profile. Tamoxifen is the only drug approved for the premenopausal woman and raloxifene (Evista) is approved to both preserve bone density and reduce breast cancer. The decision to pursue drug prevention is obviously a complicated one for anyone to make in thoughtful consultation with a breast specialist.
Other measures, such as weight control and exercise, apples, aspirin, omegas, that we have discussed and others that we will discuss, are appealing because they apply to almost everyone, don't require consultation and have a lower side effect profile.
As a disclaimer, I report that I am a faculty resource for Eli Lilly who makes Evista.
Results of the MAP.3 (Mammary Prevention.3 trial) demonstrated a 65% reduction in breast cancers in women who were high risk and took the aromatase inhibitor exemestane (Aromasin) each day.
The planned 5 year study enrolled 4500 women in the US, Canada, Spain and France. They reported at an average follow-up of 3 years at the meeting. The women were all postmenopausal with one or more of the following risk factors: 60 years of age or older, Gail risk of >1.66, prior biopsy revealing atypical ductal or lobular hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in-situ (LCIS), or prior treatment of contralateral DCIS by mastectomy.
After only 3 years of follow-up, the treated group demonstrated a 65% reduction in invasive breast cancers: the exemestane group of 2285 women had only 11 cancers but 32 cancers were reported in the placebo group of 2275 women.
Adverse symptoms such as hot flashes, fatigue, sweats, and joint aches were reported in 88% of the treated group and 85% of the placebo group. So far no adverse cardiovascular events, clots, or nonbreast cancers have been reported. Long-term use of any aromatase inhibitor leads to bone loss, which shows up later.
This adds a third prescription drug to our breast cancer prevention armamentarium, each with a slightly different rate of prevention and side effect profile. Tamoxifen is the only drug approved for the premenopausal woman and raloxifene (Evista) is approved to both preserve bone density and reduce breast cancer. The decision to pursue drug prevention is obviously a complicated one for anyone to make in thoughtful consultation with a breast specialist.
Other measures, such as weight control and exercise, apples, aspirin, omegas, that we have discussed and others that we will discuss, are appealing because they apply to almost everyone, don't require consultation and have a lower side effect profile.
As a disclaimer, I report that I am a faculty resource for Eli Lilly who makes Evista.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Fish oil (Omega3) reduces breast cancer risk!
An important study published last year in Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010:19(7);1696-1708 has the important name The VITAL Cohort. This sturdy compared VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) to breast cancer incidence. 35,000 women from Washington state were followed for an average of 6 years by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in this first ever prospective study specifically designed to investigate supplements and breast cancer. The women enrolled were between 50 and 76 years old.
The supplements examined included: fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM (mthylsulfonylmethane), grapeseed, black cohosh, soy, dong quai, St. John's wort, acidophilus, CoQ10, garlic, ginko biloba, gensing and melatonin.
The report was based on current and past use at 6 years.
Current users of fish oil had 32% fewer breast cancers! Fish oil was the only one of the supplements to exhibit statistically significant risk reduction of breast cancer. This is not the only study demonstrating a breast cancer reduction for the omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. A study from Singapore sites a 28% reduction in breast cancers among those with high dietary intake of omega3 fatty acids.
So, here is another good reason to take fish oil. I take 3gm daily, to relieve hand joint aches. For all of the many other benefits review omega3 at www.umm.edu. I have heard from some a worry about bleeding with omega3 use, but this theoretic risk has not proven so in reality. In a review of 19 trials of heart and other vascular procedures, Dr. Harris found that bleeding among omega3 users, even up to 3 grams per day, was "virtually nonexistent" (Am J Cardiol 2007:99[suppl];44c-46c).
The only problem with fish oil supplements is that they are not regulated and may not be pure and may have other fillers. In my research, I found some pills with only 30% omega3. Mercury and PCB's are also found in some. The one omega3 with the highest purity I could find you can read about at www.oewmd.com.
The supplements examined included: fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM (mthylsulfonylmethane), grapeseed, black cohosh, soy, dong quai, St. John's wort, acidophilus, CoQ10, garlic, ginko biloba, gensing and melatonin.
The report was based on current and past use at 6 years.
Current users of fish oil had 32% fewer breast cancers! Fish oil was the only one of the supplements to exhibit statistically significant risk reduction of breast cancer. This is not the only study demonstrating a breast cancer reduction for the omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. A study from Singapore sites a 28% reduction in breast cancers among those with high dietary intake of omega3 fatty acids.
So, here is another good reason to take fish oil. I take 3gm daily, to relieve hand joint aches. For all of the many other benefits review omega3 at www.umm.edu. I have heard from some a worry about bleeding with omega3 use, but this theoretic risk has not proven so in reality. In a review of 19 trials of heart and other vascular procedures, Dr. Harris found that bleeding among omega3 users, even up to 3 grams per day, was "virtually nonexistent" (Am J Cardiol 2007:99[suppl];44c-46c).
The only problem with fish oil supplements is that they are not regulated and may not be pure and may have other fillers. In my research, I found some pills with only 30% omega3. Mercury and PCB's are also found in some. The one omega3 with the highest purity I could find you can read about at www.oewmd.com.
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