Any Type of Alcohol Drink Raises Breast Cancer Risk, New Study

A large US study suggests that it did not matter whether women drank beer, wine or spirits, they all raised the risk of breast cancer to the same extent. And more than three alcoholic drinks a day raised breast cancer risk by 30 per cent, compared to women who had less than one drink a day, said the researchers.

The study, one of the largest of its kind, was presented yesterday, Thursday, at the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) in Barcelona, Spain, and is the work of Dr Arthur Klatsky, adjunct investigator in the Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland, US, and colleagues.

Klatsky and colleagues showed that it made no difference what type of alcoholic drink the women had, it was the fact they contained ethyl alcohol that mattered, and how much was consumed.

The increase in breast cancer risk due to three or more alcoholic drinks a day is similar to that posed by smoking a pack of cigarettes or more a day said Klatsky. It is also similar to the risk posed by taking oestrogenic hormones he added.

Speaking at a news briefing, Klatsky explained that:

"Population studies have consistently linked drinking alcohol to an increased risk of female breast cancer."

"But there has been little data, most of it conflicting, about an independent role played by the choice of beverage type," said Klatsky.

The researchers studied the drinking habits of 70,033 women of different ethnic origin who underwent health exams during the period 1978 to 1985 and looked at the breast cancer incidence in the cohort in subsequent years.

They found that 2,829 of the women had been diagnosed with breast cancer by 2004.

The results showed that:

• There was no difference in breast cancer risk between wine, beer and spirit consumption.
• Even between red and white wine, the impact was the same.
• In terms of overall alcohol intake, women who had between one and two drinks a day had a 10 per cent higher breast cancer risk compared to those who had one drink a day.
• The risk went up to 30 per cent for women who had more than three drinks a day.
• The results were the same for all age and ethnic groups.

Commenting on the results, Klatsky said that:

"Statistical analyses limited to strata of wine preferrers, beer preferrers, spririts preferrers or non-preferrers each showed that heavier drinking, compared to light drinking, was related to breast cancer risk in each group."

"This strongly confirms the relation of ethyl alcohol per se to increased risk," he added.

Although only a small proportion of women are heavy drinkers, and the risk of breast cancer varies among different groups, a 30 per cent increase in relative risk from drinking heavily probably translates to 5 per cent of all breast cancers being due to this habit.

Klatsky and colleagues have previously linked red wine to reduced heart attack incidence, and he said that different biological mechanisms probably explain the different effects.

The protective effect on the heart from red wine is probably due to increased HDL ("good") cholesterol, reduced blood clotting and reduced diabetes. But none of these has been shown to have anything to do with breast cancer, he said.

"The coronary benefit from drinking red wine may also be related to favourable drinking patterns common among wine drinkers or to the favourable traits of wine drinkers, as evidenced by US and Danish studies," said Klatsky.

Emphasizing that all medical advice should be tailored to the individual patient, Klatsky added that the only general statement that could be made from the findings was that it showed more reasons why "heavy drinkers should quit or cut down".

Klatsky concluded his conference presentation:

"This has been fascinating research. Our group has been involved in studies of alcohol drinking and health for more than three decades, including in the area of heart disease. We are fortunate to have data available about a large, multi-ethnic population with a variety of drinking habits."

According to a report in WebMD, Dr Shumin Zhang, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, said the findings were "generally consistent with previous research".

Zhang, who did not take part in the research conducted by Klatsky and colleagues, has also found a link between frequent alcohol consumption and elevated breast cancer risk, said WebMD

Even 1 drink a day may raise risk of breast cancer

BARCELONA, Spain -- All types of alcohol -- wine, beer and liquor -- add equally to the risk of women developing breast cancer, U.S. researchers said Thursday.

Previous studies have shown a link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer, but there have been conflicting messages about whether some kinds of alcohol were more dangerous than others.

The researchers, led by Dr. Arthur Klatsky of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, Calif., revealed their findings at a conference in Barcelona.

Researchers analyzed the drinking habits of 70,033 women of various races from 1978 to 1985. By 2004, 2,829 had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Klatsky and his colleagues looked at which types of alcohol the women drank and their total alcohol intake. They compared it with that of women who had less than one drink a day.

They found no difference in the risk of developing breast cancer among women who drank wine, beer or liquor. Compared with light drinkers -- those who had less than one drink a day -- women who had one or two drinks a day increased their risk by 10 percent. Women who had more than three drinks a day raised their risk by 30 percent.

It is not clear how alcohol contributes to breast cancer, but some think it raises hormone levels in the blood to levels that could cause cancer.

4 Foods To Fight Breast Cancer

As a woman, reading about an article related to a woman’s body as well as psychological aspect, interest me a lot. As I’ve read about this new article that I’me going to share, it makes me feel responsible to share this to all my readers. It’s something about what we can eat to cut cancer risk

Sometimes, some woman or mother rarely has time to cook because they are working. Figuring out on what to have for dinner is hard enough without having to factor in the latest news about food and cancer.

What to Eat
Fish: Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and herring are high in omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat that's believed to have anticancer properties. Aim for two to three servings a week.

Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are powerful cancer fighters and appear to contain chemicals that turn on your body's natural detox enzymes. Eat them raw or slightly steamed (cooking breaks down the protective chemicals). Shoot for five servings a week.

Berries: The more colorful, the better! These fruits are rich in antioxidants, which protect cells from damage, and strawberries and raspberries contain ellagaic acid, which has been shown to protect against breast cancer in lab studies. Sneak these in wherever you can...toss some in your smoothie or even have some with dessert.

Whole grains: Lowfat sources of fiber, such as quinoa, unbuttered popcorn and cereals like All-Bran and Fiber One, may regulate your levels of estrogen and insulin, two hormones that both have been linked to breast cancer. Aim for 25 grams per day.

What to Watch
Red meat: You don't have to forgo the occasional burger (thank goodness!), but eating more than 1.5 servings of red meat per day can nearly double the chances of developing breast cancer. Limit your intake to three servings of lean cuts (such as filet mignon, flank steak or sirloin) a week or fewer.

Alcohol: As few as two drinks a day may increase breast cancer risk by 20 percent, possibly by raising estrogen levels. There's nothing wrong with having some wine with dinner, but it's safest to average no more than one drink a day. (Savor it! I mix soda water in my white wine to make one glass last through dinner.)

Mesothelioma Is An Incurable Cancer That Makes Lawyers Rich

Mesothelioma is a cancer which is linked to exposure to asbestos fibers in 70 to 80 percent of cases.

The National Cancer institute defines malignant mesothelioma as "a rare form of cancer...a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) or the lining around the heart (the pericardium)."

It is one of the most deadly cancers known to man; the average life span of an afflicted person from the time of diagnosis until death is less than 24 months.

Mesothelioma develops in approximately 3,000 United States citizens every year. Most of those diagnosed have a history of occupational exposure to asbestos, though a few have environmental or household contact. This cancer has an extremely long latency period; an exposure period of as little as one or two months can result in a mesothelioma up to 50 years later. Patients who had contact with asbestos as far back as the 1940s are now being diagnosed with this disease. In fact, the average time between exposure and the development of mesothelioma is 35-40 years.

When asbestos first came into use, its risks were unknown, and it was widely used as a fire-retardant material. Many people worked with this deadly substance, unaware that it would kill them several decades later. Workers such as bricklayers, insulaters, plasterers, electricians, mechanics, carpenters, and other tradesmen were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis as it was contained in many insulation and construction materials.

Even occassional exposure to asbestos is a health risk, and there have been many cases of mesothelioma developing in patients who only had brief contact, such as wives of asbestos-exposed workers who washed their husbands' overalls.

Due to the long latency period and vague, diffuse initial symptoms, there is often a delay in accurate diagnosis. As with many cancers, early symptoms can be mild and non-specific. Often patients present with only shortness of breath and a persistent cough; some show no symptoms at all in the initial stages, and the disease is first noticed on a routine chest X-ray. One early tell-tale sign is pleural effusion, a collection of fluid in the lungs. The right lung is affected 60% of the time, bilateral involvement being seen in 5% of cases. Less common initial complaints due to lung mesothelioma are fever, night sweats, weight loss, a raspy voice and facial swelling. Peritoneal mesothelioma can cause abdominal symptoms such as pain, abdominal swelling, nausea, weight loss, bowel obstruction, anemia and swelling of the feet. As the disease progresses, patients often develop severe cachexia (wasting).

One of the most common symptoms of mesothelioma, pleural effusion, is an accumulation of fluid between the parietal pleura, which covers the chest wall and diaphragm, and the visceral pleura, which covers the lungs. Both membranes are covered with mesothelial cells which, under normal conditions, produce a small amount of fluid that acts as a lubricant between the chest wall and the lung. Any excess fluid is removed via blood and lymph vessels, thus maintaining a balance. When more fluid is produced than can be absorbed, an effusion forms.

These effusions are called either transudates and exudates. A transudate is a clear fluid that forms not because the pleural surfaces are diseased, but because of an imbalance between the normal production and removal of the fluid. Often this is caused by congestive heart failure. An exudate, which contains many cells and proteins and is often cloudy in color, results from disease of the pleura itself, and is common to mesothelioma. To differentiate between a transudate or an exudate, a diagnostic thoracentesis, in which a needle or catheter is used to obtain a fluid sample, may be conducted.

As the volume of excess fluid increases, symptoms develop such as shortness of breath (dyspnea) , chest pain, or a non-productive dry cough. Heard through a stethoscope, normal breath sounds are muted, and tapping on the chest will reveal dull rather than hollow sounds.

A pleural effusion can be seen with a chest X-ray, ultrasound or CT scan. Since pleural effusions are often caused by congestive heart failure, the discovery of an effusion is not in itself immediately suggestive of a malignant process.

A histological examination of pleural fluid is negative in 85% of cases; a definitive diagnoses is more often is obtained by a needle biopsy or surgical biopsy of pleural tissue.

Symptomatic treatment of lung compression caused by effusion is accomplished by application of a sclerosing agent which eliminates the space between the lung and the chest cavity, a process called chemical pleurodesis. Talc is usually used, with a success rate of 95%. It can be administered either as a powder or as a slurry mixed with saline. A surgical team opens the chest wall, removes the effusion, then collapses the lung before applying the talc. Once the lung is fused to the chest wall, an effusion can no longer accumulate and compress the lung. This is strictly a palliative measure to improve the patient's quality of life, and has no effect on the progression of the disease.

Attemps to cure mesothelioma utilize surgery to remove diseased tissue, combined with chemo and raiotherapy. Several new treatment modalities are currently being investigated. These include Photodynamic therapy, which uses light of particular frequencies to target and kill cancer cells which, compared to normal tissue, display increased uptake of photosensitizing drugs; immunotherapy, which fights the abnormal cells through stimulation of the body's own immune system; and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, which is a radiation treatment that attempts to target just the malignancy, thus avoiding damage to adjacent healthy cells and tissue. In addition, some success has been acheived with the chemotherapeutic drug Alitma (pemetrexed). However, despite the number of clinical trials currently underway, as of the date of this article the prognosis for mesothelioma sufferers is still extremely poor.

Is Your Child At Risk For Mesothelioma Cancer?

Although Mesothelioma is a term that is often heard broadcast over the television airways by soliciting attorneys it is nonetheless a condition which is not
well understood by the general public.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that can affect individuals who either work or have worked in asbestos manufacturing plants, automotive shops, mining, ship yards and constructions industries.

Mesothelioma Cancer is caused from exposure to the fibrous material strands known as asbestos. These fibers are resistant to heat and chemicals which makes it an ideal substance for such applications as roofs, home insulation, cement, etc. However, these same properties make it very difficult for the human body to get rid of them.

Mesothelioma has no gender or age barriers. Given the right set of circumstances children are at equal risk for developing this life-threatening disease.

Although it is true that children do not usually work with or around asbestos they may however, frequent older public buildings or schools where the asbestos material used in the ceilings and flooring has started to deteriorate, releasing small asbestos particles into the air. These particles can then be breathed into the lungs causing tissue scaring, excess fluid accumulation and breathing difficulties.

Children whose parents work with or around asbestos are at greater risk of developing asbestos-related diseases (asbestosis or mesothelioma) due to second-hand exposure (asbestos particles transported from work to home via clothing or hair.

One might ask, if it is true that children can develop asbestos-related conditions, why don’t we hear about them?

The reason is simple. Mesothelioma has a 30-50 year incubation period (time from exposure to the onset of the first major symptoms). A child that is exposed at age six will quite possibly not have significant symptoms until he/she becomes an adult of age 36.

This might explain why experts say that it is possible for some people to develop Mesothelioma even when there has been no known asbestos exposure.

Is it possible that this now adult individual had been exposed repeatedly as a child? This might also explain why there are so many children suffering with respiratory ailments today!

Although the United States government has established laws governing exposure limits, not all facilities comply. Abestos is still alive and well but there are things that can be done to reduce exposure risk:

1. When possible avoid old buildings that are in disrepair.

2. Check with school officials regarding asbestos safety implementation programs.

3. Be sure that anyone who lives in your home and works with or around asbestos strictly adheres to the OSHA safety rules regarding work clothes, showering before leaving the work place, etc.

4. Contact your doctor at the first sign of illness or to discuss any health concerns you might have.

Mesothelioma Treatment varies depending upon its location,stage and patient's overall health.

What is Mesothelioma Cancer?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the abdominal cavity, chest cavity, and the area around the heart. It has an uncommon nature that makes it difficult to diagnose and treat. It has been connected with exposure to asbestos, which is a material that was found in many work environments. There is a small amount of people that are diagnosed with this terrible disease.

Normal mesothelioma therapies include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. You should keep in mind that if you choose one course of action for mesothelioma treatment, you might preclude other courses. All of your options should be considered as soon as possible.

When individuals have a prolonged history of working with asbestos, they are at higher risk of Mesothelioma cancer. It will take the people that have been exposed to this type of asbestos to not have any kind of symptoms for up to forty years. This means that the average age of the people that are finding out that they have this problem are between the ages of fifty and seventy. There are more men that are being diagnosed than women. This is due to the fact that there were more industrial settings found to have the asbestos.

Mesothelioma cancer will cause fluid to accumulate between the lung lining and the chest cavity. This can be determined through a chest x-ray as well as a CT scan. A biopsy will have to be performed to confirm the diagnoses.

Mesothelioma cancer is a life threatening disease and should not be left untreated. If someone had this type of cancer, they need to seek the help of a medical professional as soon as possible. There are forms of treatment that have to be set into place so that the person has a chance at their life.

In recent years asbestos has not been used in anything. Since it has been determined that it is so dangerous to one’s health, the federal government has forbad the use of this type of material in any industry or products. A lot of the industries in the fifties and sixties were contaminated with asbestos that caused many people to have mesothelioma cancer.

Many sources are dedicated to help the victims of this awful disease. Many agencies are going to great lengths to help the people that have been affected and the families that have had to suffer because of this terrible disease. Even though this is a rare disease, it can affect thousands of families each year.

Some of the treatments of Mesothelioma cancer include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. You need to keep in mind that if you choose one course of treatment for this disease, you may have to take on another challenge or even try another form of treatment for it to work. You must keep going and try all that is offered to ensure that you beat this terrible disease.

Asbestos Related Lung Cancer

For almost a 100 years asbestos was considered to be a surprisingly extraordinary mineral. It was used mostly for insulation in the building industry and woven into most every kind of product that could be manufactured. In the late 1800's it was reported that asbestos could cause severe lung injury to anyone that was exposed to it. Those reports were either ignored or intentionally suppressed. Not until 1931 did the British government start taking action to deal with the possibilities of lung cancer in those who worked with and were exposed to asbestos. In the early 1970's the United States government, following the British, began to document safety rules for handling asbestos. This truly was 50 years to late for many thousands of people who were exposed to asbestos in the environment, the home and especially in the workplace.

The results of exposure to asbestos in the environment and the workplace include pleural plaques, lung scarring, asbestosis, lung cancer and a particularly malignant, more severe cancer known as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively related to exposure to asbestos. It's pleura, cancer of the lining around the lungs instead of in the lungs. Even a very short term exposure 10, 20, 30 or more years ago may result in mesothelioma. Smoking increases the risk of being diagnosed with mesothelioma dramatically. A patient who was exposed to asbestos that smokes has a 50 to 90 times greater chance of being diagnosed with lung cancer, including mesothelioma than a non-smoker. By contrast, a non-smoker exposed to asbestos has a five times greater chance of being diagnosed.

Asbestos Related lung cancers including Mesothelioma are diagnosed through a coalition of medical history, imaging technologies like x-rays, MRIs and CAT tissue sampling, scans, and biopsy. Those who are known to have been exposed to asbestos should have regular checkups for lung irregularities, as the incubation period between exposure and development of this disease can be as long as 5 decades.

As with any cancer, early diagnosis will give the best chance of recovery. Generally the accepted statistics for patients diagnosed with asbestos related lung cancer or mesothelioma are not good at all. In some cases, a person diagnosed with mesothelioma may be told that he has only 8-12 weeks to live, but there are many extenuating factors that may affect that. Some people in clinical trials that use a multi-treatment approach to treating mesothelioma have approached a 40% five year survival rate - almost as much as those diagnosed with other types of lung cancer.

It seems that the best response to Mesothelioma is an aggressive treatment that combines surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, since mesothelioma is so often diagnosed in the later stages, surgery is not often an option, but there are some encouraging new advances in chemotherapy for treatment.

The first medication specifically to treat mesothelioma was approved by the FDA in February of 2004, Alimta manufactured by Eli Lilly. Alimta showed in clinical trials that in conjunction with another drug frequently used for treatment, cisplatin, improved the life expectancy of people diagnosed with mesothelioma. In a time where new advances are happening almost on a weekly basis, even a few months of extended life can propose hope for a cure.