Red Meat/Breast Cancer Connection Cited
Posted November 14, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
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There’s a terrible irony about the state of humanity that if something you like to eat tastes good, it’s almost always bad for you.
But if you’re a fan of a steak or ground beef and if you’re a woman it’s not only ironic, it’s potentially life threatening.
A new study links eating red meat with a rise in the risk of breast cancer.
Doctors at Harvard Medical School tracked the diets and the health of some 90,000 women between the ages of 26 to 46 for almost two decades.
The test subjects regularly filled out questionnaires about how much red meat they consumed. Doctors would then compare their average consumption with the amount of women who eventually developed the troubling ailment.
The findings: the more regular red meat eaters had a higher risk of developing tumours whose growth was fueled by estrogen or progesterone. It didn’t seem to correlate to tumours that were independent of those hormones.
Even women in their 20s were more susceptible than their elders who didn’t consume as much.
The meat eaters were also more likely to be overweight and to smoke, factors that were also counted in the prevalence of breast cancer development. But red meat was still the number one cause.
“Our study may give another motivation to reduce red meat intake,” suggests co-author Eunyoung Cho.
But other experts warn the research isn’t a reason to become a vegan overnight.
“A 16-ounce steak and a three-ounce piece of meat are counted the same,” explains cancer expert Dr. Anne McTiernan. “People are horrible at determining what is a real serving.
She suggests cutting down on red meat is a good idea, but not to give it up entirely. -
Experts in Toronto agree. -
“People shouldn’t eat red meat every day, not only because of breast cancer but for a variety of other reasons,” cautions Dr. Michael Archer of the U. of T.Red meat has been shown to be bad for the body in other ways, including increasing the risk of prostate cancer and raising your cholesterol levels.
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Breast Cancer Primer
Here are some important facts about breast cancer
What Causes Breast Cancer?
There is no single cause, but there are factors that can increase your chances, and they include:
Age: Breast cancer can occur in women of any age but the chances of developing it increase with age.
Family History: Especially in a mother, sister or daughter diagnosed before menopause or if the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are present. A history of uterine, colorectal or ovarian cancers is also a factor.
Previous breast disorders with biopsies showing abnormal cells.
No pregnancies or having a first pregnancy after age 30.
Beginning to menstruate at an early age, and/or later than average menopause.
Dense breast tissue
Hormone replacement therapy (estrogen plus progestin)
Alcohol is also linked to a slight increase in breast cancer and the effects of smoking, diet and physical activity are currently being studied.
Breast cancer isn’t a disease that only affects women. Less than one percent of Canadian men develop the disease and it’s commonly diagnosed in males over 60.
What Are The Symptoms?
Lump In Breast
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- usually felt by you first
- sometimes detected on a screening mammogram before you can feel itsometimes found during a clinical breast examination before you can feel it
- constantly present and does not come and go with your menstrual cycle
- may feel like it is attached to the skin
- may feel hard, irregular and different from the rest of the breast tissue
- may be tender but not painful (pain is more often a symptom of a benign condition, but should be checked by your doctor)
Lump In Armpit
- enlarged lymph node – usually means that the lymphatic system is fighting an infection in that area
- sometimes means that breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes
Inverted Nipples
- some nipples are always inverted
- nipples that become inverted should be checked by your doctor
- Eczema-type symptoms on the nipple
- may be a sign of Paget’s disease, a rare form of breast cancer
Nipple Discharge
- has many different causes and should always be reported to your doctor
- may be a sign of cancer if it occurs spontaneously (without squeezing) and is blood stained
Changes in Breast Size and Shape
- a change in the outline of the breast
- a change in the size of the breast
Changes in the Skin of the Breast
- dimpling or puckering of the skin
- thickening and dimpling skin – like an orange peel
- redness, swelling and increased warmth in the affected breast
- ridges and wheals (round, itchy areas)
- distended veins on the breast in an irregular pattern
Prevention
The best way to fight this disease is to catch it early and women of all ages should perform self exams on a regular basis. To find out how to do one properly, click here.
For more information on breast cancer and how it’s treated, visit the Canadian Cancer Society’s website.
Courtesy: Canadian Cancer Society
