Breast Cancer Prevention (cont.)
What is the link between estrogen and breast cancer?
Estrogen is a female hormone that is produced by the ovaries. During the
reproductive years, a woman's body is exposed to high levels of estrogen. After
menopause, the production of estrogen by the ovaries decreases. Estrogen is
sometimes prescribed to treat some of the problems often associated with
menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, and
vaginal dryness. Estrogen has the additional benefit of prevention of bone
thinning (osteoporosis). However, results from a large clinical trial of postmenopausal women
receiving hormone therapy (HT) released in 2002 showed that
the overall risks of estrogen plus progestin therapy
outweighed the benefits of
hormone therapy. Combined hormone therapy with estrogen and progestin was shown to increase the risk of
heart disease, stroke,
and blood clots. For more in-depth on this topic, please read the
Hormone Therapy, Current
Concepts article.
High levels of estrogen over long periods also increase the risk of
developing breast and uterine cancers. Estrogen stimulates the cells of the
breast and the uterine lining to grow and divide. Breast cells that are actively
dividing are believed to have a greater chance of DNA damage as well as a higher
number of cells that already have DNA damage. A higher number of cells with DNA
damage elevate the risk of cancer development.
Women who have an early onset of their menstrual period (or menses) and late
menopause are more likely to develop breast cancer than women with late menses
onset and early menopause. This difference is believed to be attributable to the
longer period of estrogen exposure in the first group.
Next: What are breast cancer prevention treatments? »
- tamoxifen, Nolvadex -
- Breast Biopsy - Learn about the different types of breast biopsy procedures, which are used to remove suspicious breast growth and examined for the presence of cancer.
- Breast Cancer - Get the facts on breast cancer symptoms, signs, stages, types, research, risk factors, diagnosis, prevention information and treatment options: mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy.
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