Wednesday Bubble: Risk

Posted by Liz on Mar 11, 2009 in breast cancer | 0 comments

Do data justify routine assessments of breast cancer in older women? According to a study published in the March 10 online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the answer is a resounding “yes!”

Researchers from the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco systematically reviewed published literature and meta-analyses of various aspects of breast cancer risk and prevention, including risk assessment models, breast density measurements and lifestyle factors.

While the results showed that measures of breast density (which can be determined in mammograms) were very strong predictors of a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer, risk assessment models, which use medical history and demographics (e.g. race, age, income, socioeconomic status, etc) were only moderately accurate in predicting risk.

Yet, when combined, the risk of developing breast cancer could be determine more accurately in  roughly a third of women.

Study Implications

The researchers note that “for women at high risk of developing breast cancer, the findings are very significant.” For example, women who learn that they are at high risk might want to consider more frequent mammograms or digital scans such as MRIs.  They also say that treatments such as raloxifene and tamoxifen, when used for five years, confer roughly 15 years of protection. Conversely, women at low risk may be able to reduce the frequency of mammograms.

Importantly, lifestyle factors such as regular exerise, losing weight, a low-fat diet and reducing alcohol intake appeared to lower breast cancer risk in women of all ages. However, eating more fruits and vegetables did not seem to make any difference. This is not to say, however, that women should eliminate fruits and vegetables from their diet as studies do suggest that these foods are protective against other forms of cancer, such as colon cancer.

In a time when evidence is accruing against HRT and its health ramifications, it’s assuring to know that there are ways to determine if we’ve placed ourselves at greater risk of disease and strategies to counteract our missteps.