Flashfree food for thought: lignans and breast cancer risk
I’ve written previ0usly about the potential benefits of flaxseed in boosting bone health and alleviating hot flashes. Now, researchers are suggesting that flaxseed and other foods that contain high levels of lignans – a type of phytoestrogen with both weak estrogen and antioxidant activities – may also help lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
In a large analysis of 21 studies examining possible links between lignan intake and breast cancer risk, the researchers found that including large amounts of lignan in the diet reduced the risk of developing breast cancer by as much as 14% in postmenopausal women. What’s more, risk was reduced by as much as 16% in studies that specifically examined levels of compounds called “enterolignans,” which are created with dietary lignan enters the stomach and interacts with bacteria residing in the intestines. The researchers say that lignan may offer moderate protection against breast cancer because it blocks estrogen activity that promotes tumour growth, perhaps mostly when natural estrogen is low (i.e. during menopause). However, the study did not provide details as to what constitutes “large” amounts of the compounds.
Flaxseed is one of the richest dietary sources of lignan, although it is also found in other foods including sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, whole grain breads, muesli, kale, broccoli, white cabbage and brussel sprouts, apricots and strawberries. You can find a full list of the lignan content in foods here.
Should you start eating more lignan? The good news is that the foods that are richest sources of the phytoestrogen are also quite healthy. And, wth the potentially added benefits of preventing osteoporosis and lessening hot flashes, it seems that boosting lignan intake is a win-win all around!
Want to read more? Reuters Health has an excellent write up with additional information on the study.
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: herbs and breast cancer
Can herbal medicines used for hot flashes, namely black cohosh and phytoestrogens, be safely used in women who’ve had breast cancer?
If you’ve had breast cancer, you’ve probably been told to stay away from herbal medications, right? Yet, women who’ve had breast cancer know that hot flashes are a common side effect of many cancer therapies. Research also suggests that the older a woman is at the time she receives chemotherapy, the more likely she is to develop menopause as soon as treatment stops. Moreover, roughly 80% of women taking Tamoxifen have hot flashes and about a third of those women rate them as severe. Hormones are not even an option due to the increased breast cancer risk.
The good news is that an extensive analysis of scientific studies shows that black cohosh might be safe for women who have had breast cancer. Although the researchers note that the evidence for the effectiveness of black cohosh for alleviating hot flashes is mixed, they cite research from the National Institutes of Health and other reviews that suggest that use of black cohosh in former breast cancer patients requires only standard screening. They also report that there is “little reason for excluding patients with estrogen-responsive tumors from using black cohosh.” In fact, recent laboratory studies, although not yet carried out in humans, suggest that black cohosh may actually protect the breast from developing tumors.
The case for or against the use of phytoestrogens (e.g. soy, red clover, chaste tree berry and flaxseed) in women with breast cancer is not quite as clear as it appears to be for black cohosh. In one of the largest reviews examining soy or red clover for menopausal symptoms, the outcomes were equivalent to placebo. Other studies have shown that they might be beneficial for women with mild to moderate symptoms who start menopause early. Moreover, while red clover in particular does not appear to affect certain breast cancer risk markers, reports about phytoestrogens in general, especially in estrogen positive cancers is conflicting. Still, the American Cancer Society does not advise against eating soy-rich foods by women who’ve had breast cancer. Some studies have also showed improved prognosis.
If you are wondering if there are any drawbacks, one of the largest challenges is that there are not that many studies looking at herbal medications in women with breast cancer and the ones that do exist are mostly short in duration. The researchers point out that because herbs can take awhile to work, a three month study might be too short to form a conclusion.
Clearly, more study is needed. In the interim, it appears both black cohosh and soy might be safe to try if you’ve had breast cancer. As always, the most important consideration is to speak to a certified practitioner who is well versed in herbal medicine and make sure that she or he works with your oncologist.
Wednesday Bubble: No pain, no…killing two birds with one stone?
Got pain? It is possible that if you regularly use aspirin, acetaminophen or NSAIDS (e.g. ibuprofen) during menopause, you may be reducing your risk for breast or ovarian cancer as well. Sort of a two birds with one stone approach. I like it!
This latest bit of great news comes from analyses of blood samples and questionnaires collected from 740 women who participated in a breast cancer trial as part of the Nurses Health Study, an ongoing investigation of factors that influence women’s health. At the time that information was collected, the women had no cancer, were in menopause and had not used hormones.Study findings, which are published in Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention showed that on average, mean levels of naturally estrogen (i.e. estradiol), were more than 10% lower among women who reported regular use of aspirin or NSAIDS, and 15% lower among women reporting use of any sort of analgesic agent.
Although this specific study did not look at the link between hormones levels and cancer, previous studies have shown use of NSAIDs may lower breast cancer risk by as much as 12% to 25%; the evidence for ovarian cancer isn’t quite that strong.
Mind you, researchers say that these results don’t actually confirm if aspirin-like drugs cause estrogen levels to drop but there is an association. More research is needed to see if there is a firm link between declines in hormones after analgesic use and lower risk or breast or ovarian cancer. If it is true, there is a possibility that aspirin-like drugs could be used more regularly in this fashion.
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: Breast cancer – it’s personal
I don’t typically get too personal on Flashfree because this blog is a resource for you, dear readers. However, I want to leave October’s Wednesday Bubble posts with something a bit closer to the bone and heart: breast cancer.
Location: Department Store dressing room stall. Circa: late 1960s, early 1970s.
The characters: Me and my mom.
Scene: She is covering herself as she removes her shirt. I notice the scars. Lots of scars….to the side of one breast. I meet her eyes and she meets mine. Then I learn what the term ‘ breast cancer’ means.
My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 30. Thirty. Even today, less than half of women under the age of 40 are likely to develop breast cancer and the majority of cases are diagnosed after the age of 50. So, imagine the shock. What’s more, imagine the time. The 1950s… when breast cancer awareness wasn’t at the fore and people didn’t discuss it, when breasts and surrounding muscle were literally hacked off rather than carefully removing the tumor with clean margins, when many men left their wives after they became disfigured.
My dad didn’t leave. And my brother learned about it through a ‘friend’ in school who was teasing him.
I’ve spoken to my mother about her cancer, about the fear of it returning (it has not, thank goodness), and about how she feels about not being able to wear sleeveless tops or strengthen/firm those muscles even though she has exercised regularly her entire life. How she felt when my brother came home from school and asked her about it. How she feels now when a friend is diagnosed with cancer. Her answer is always pretty much the same.
I don’t know anyone who has not been touched by breast cancer. Not. One. Person.
In the past year, I’ve had two friends who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, not for the first but second time. Like most of you, I am regularly inspired by the women in my life who are first or second-time survivors, just as I am moved by those who’ve lost their battles but not without a fight.
Breasts. For whatever reason, they are such an integral part of who we are as women and how we define ourselves in relation to the world around us. And yet, we continue to be plagued by this cancer and its effects on our health, our families and the world around us. Despite advances in research and awareness, we’re not even close to winning this battle:
- Worldwide, every 30 seconds a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer
- Every 90 seconds, a woman loses her fight to it
- In 2007, almost half of all women had mastectomies compared to only 7% who had breast reconstruction
Can’t we do better?
It’s hard to imagine that in my mother’s lifetime, the likelihood of finding a cure is, well, unlikely.
This one’s close to the bone. It’s close to my heart. It’s personal.
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: herbs for breast cancer prevention
In keeping in line with my commitment to inspiring, breast cancer-related bubbles during the month of October, I am happy to share some rather promising news.
This week, it comes from Germany and was reported this past August in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention: while hormone replacement therapy appears to increase the risk of breast cancer, use of herbal preparations containing phytoestrogens (plant-based compounds that act similar to estrogen) may actually prevent the most invasive type.
Wow! Sounds promising, right?
There has been a lot of noise surrounding the effectiveness of plant-based estrogens (e.g. soy isoflavones) for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings. Some studies suggest they work and others, that they don’t. In fact, I do believe that the verdict is still out, although when used properly and in coordination with a licensed practitioner, they might very well be worth trying — much more so than health risk laden hormones. Moreover, if their use does actually reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, which is the exact opposite of hormone therapy, well, then I am all for them!
In this particular investigation, researchers examined how and when over 10,000 postmenopausal women were using herbs and any possible relationship to development of breast cancer. The findings? Women who used herbs had a 26% lower risk of ever developing invasive breast cancer than those who did not. That’s quite a bit, right?
The researchers are unclear why this may be. However, I’m certainly encouraged by the news, news that an herb a day may keep breast cancer away. Definitely inspired by the fact that a natural compound might both improve menopausal symptoms and offer protection. Happy Wednesday!
[Note! Many oncologists recommend that women with estrogen-positive tumours or those who are prone to them avoid plant based estrogens. As always it is essential to speak to a practitioner before using any over the counter herbal preparation!]
Read MoreTender breasts and HRT – Do you need to worry?
Yes, you do, according to UCLA researchers, who examined data from more than 16,000 postmenopausal women participating in the halted Women’s Health Initiative estrogen plus progestin trial. If you recall, this trial abruptly ended in 2002 when researchers learned that women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had a significantly increased risk for developing breast cancer.
In this latest study, which appeared in the October 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers took a closer look at the data to identify which factors, if any, could predict the possible development of breast cancer in women taking hormones. At the study’s start and every year until it was stopped, participants underwent mammography and were asked to do breast self-examinations. In addition to providing information on factors that might increase their breast cancer risk, they were also asked to to rate the degree of breast tenderness at the beginning of the trial and after one year.
Study findings showed the following:
- Women taking HRT who did not have any sort of breast tenderness at the study’s start had three times the risk of developing tender breasts at the one-year mark compared to women taking placebo.
- Breast tenderness at one year was associated with a 48% higher risk of developing invasive breast cancer than peers who never developed breast tenderness.
The researchers say that they are unclear about the reasons for this relationship and wonder if it might be possibly due to the fact that HRT causes breast tissue cells to multiply rapidly, thereby leading to more tenderness and an increased cancer risk. They also caution that the results just apply to this particular form of combination hormone therapy (which goes by the trade name Premarin®).
So, should you worry?
Emerging evidence continues to point clearly to a skewed risk benefit profile when it comes to hormone therapy, with risks outweighing any subjective benefits such as a decline in hot flashes, improved sleep or less vaginal dryness. It’s up to you to decide if you want to continue using hormones is you presently take them, or if you want to start HRT in the first place. And of course, if you are using hormones and develop breast tenderness, you should contact your practitioner as soon as possible to discuss your symptoms.
Ultimately, we all have control over certain factors in our health lives and don’t have control over others. Choose wisely.
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