That seems to be the big question debated in recent years. But a new national study involving more than 900,000 women may help clarify this important issue.

The researchers determined that screening for breast cancer every two years appears to be just as beneficial as yearly mammograms for women ages 50 to 74, and result in significantly fewer "false positives" — even for women whose breasts are dense or who use hormone therapy for menopause.

The same team of researchers recently reported similar results for older women ages 66 to 89 years old.

But what if you’re in your 40’s and have dense breasts? The study suggests that women in their 40s with extremely dense breasts who undergo biennial mammography are more likely to have advanced-stage and large tumors than women who undergo annual mammography. However, yearly screening does come with a higher rate of false positives.

Balancing Risks and Benefits

Individual decisions on mammogram frequency involve balancing the benefits of screening - detecting cancer early — and the potential harms, such as false positives. Based on current research, here are some points to consider:

• Increasing age and high breast density are among the strongest risk factors for breast cancer.

• A family history of breast cancer raises the likelihood of developing the disease but it does not increase the chances of advanced-stage tumors or large tumors

• Approximately 12 to 15 percent of women in their 40s - and approximately 3 to 6 percent of those ages 50 to 74 - have extremely dense breasts. Dense breasts means it difficult for the x-rays to pass through the tissue making images less clear which increases the rate of false positives.

• False positives mean that women without cancer are called back for more testing, including biopsies, ultrasounds and more mammograms. The psychological trauma of false positives can linger for years.

• For women 50 to 74 years old with dense breasts who are cancer free, more than half will be recalled for additional mammography at least once over the course of 10 years of annual screening. Screening every other year decreases this risk by about a third.

• Women in their 40s with extremely dense breasts who undergo mammography every two years are more likely to have advanced-stage and large tumors than women who undergo annual mammography. Women in their 40s with dense breasts also have the highest rates of false positives.

While the question of how often women should be screened for breast cancer may never have a perfect answer, this research does fill in some knowledge gaps that may increase peace-of-mind when making these decisions.

Sources:

University of California

Los Angeles Times

For many years, smoking was suspected of increasing the risk of breast cancer but making this association was difficult as many women who smoke also drink alcohol, which is also a risk factor for breast cancer.

Now a new study conducted by the American Cancer Society provides strong evidence that smoking independently increases the risk of breast cancer. Moreover, the researchers found that women who started smoking before the onset of menstruation had a shocking 61% increased risk of breast cancer compared to women who had never smoked.

Other findings:

• Women who started smoking after their period had started but 11 or more years before giving birth had a 45% higher risk of breast cancer, compared to nonsmokers.
• Among the 73,000 women included in the study data and follow up, the incidence of invasive breast cancer was 24%t higher in current smokers and 13% higher in former smokers, compared to those that never smoked.

Young Women at Risk

Experts believe breast tissue may be more susceptible to toxic exposures before a woman gives birth the first time compared to after, said Mia Gaudet, director of genetic epidemiology at the American Cancer Society.

Despite studies like this linking smoking to cancer and other health risks such as heart disease and stroke the American Lung Association estimates that every day 3,900 children under 18 years of age try their first cigarette and more than 950 of them will become regular daily smokers. Of those, half will ultimately die from their habit.

It begs the question: what more can be done to communicate the risks of smoking to young people?

Source:

Health Day

Researchers have long known that both genetic and environmental factors can increase breast cancer risk. And while both factors warrant further research, environmental factors are more readily identified and modified than genetic factors and, therefore, present a tremendous opportunity to prevent breast cancer. Furthermore, the large majority of cases occur in women with no family history of breast cancer.

Yet only a fraction of federal research funding has gone toward examining links between breast cancer and the environment. But that may soon change.

In 2008 Congress passed the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act which established the Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Coordinating Committee (IBCERCC), which was charged with making recommendations to close the knowledge gaps in our understanding of the environmental causes of breast cancer.

Now, after a review of the state of the science, current programs, and investments by federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations, as well as relevant communication efforts and policies, the IBCERCC offers seven recommendations to usher in coordinated, targeted efforts to identify and mitigate the environmental causes of breast cancer.

1) Prioritize Prevention with a national breast cancer prevention strategy to prioritize and increase federal government investments in breast cancer prevention.

2) Transform How Research is Conducted as the complexity of breast cancer necessitates increased investment in a transdisciplinary approach.

3) Intensify the Study of Chemical and Physical Factors to close the knowledge gap about potential risk factors. This includes certain chemicals, such as endocrine disruptors, and physical agents, such as low-dose radiation.

4) Plan Strategically Across Federal Agencies so that federal, state, and nongovernmental organizations coordinate and collaborate to accelerate the pace of scientific research on breast cancer and the environment.

5) Engage Public Stakeholders and affected communities at every stage of the research planning, implementation, and translation process.

6) Train Transdisciplinary Researchers so they have the skills necessary to function in a transdisciplinary environment.

7) Translate and Communicate Science to Society to enhance primary prevention of new breast cancer cases.

The ultimate goal, wrote the committee, is to seek a greater understanding of the environmental and genetic factors that influence risk, susceptibility, and the progression of the disease. They believe their recommendations provide a vision toward reducing or eliminating environmental exposures and modifying social and lifestyle factors implicated in breast cancer.

They added that a sustained coordination across research and regulatory agencies, as well as nongovernmental organizations, will be necessary to achieve this vision.

Source:

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

UCLA Scientists testing a new way to treat cancer have been able to precisely target and destroy cancer cells without damaging healthy cells. The tests, which were done on human breast cancer cell in laboratory mice showed significant reduction in tumor growth.

The approach uses nanoscale degradable “capsules” about half the size of the smallest bacterium to deliver the protein complex apoptin, directly to the cancer cell. Apoptin is derived from an anemia virus in birds.

As the protein accumulates in the nucleus of cancer cells, it signals to the cell to undergo programmed self-destruction. The capsules degrade harmlessly in non-cancerous cells.

Nano-Capsules

The tiny capsules are composed of a water-soluble polymer that does not alter the chemical structure of the proteins or cause them to clump, preserving their effectiveness on the cancer cells.

"Delivering a large protein complex such as apoptin to the innermost compartment of tumor cells was a challenge, but the reversible polymer encapsulation strategy was very effective in protecting and escorting the cargo in its functional form," said Muxun Zhao, lead author of the research and a graduate student in chemical and biomolecular engineering at UCLA.

Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment

Recent years have seen an explosion in the number of studies showing the variety of medical applications of nanotechnology and nanomaterials.

Today there are about 82 ongoing clinical trials involving nanoparticles to treat cancer. Many involve nanoparticle carriers of established chemotherapeutics. Others involve novel drugs, enhancement of radiotherapy, in vitro diagnostics, or nanoparticles that are used for hyperthermia or thermal ablation.

Some nano technologies are already in use or in clinical trials. Two nanotech therapies, Abraxane and Doxil, have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are benefiting cancer patients. They use nanoparticles to enhance delivery of existing chemotherapy drugs.

Another nanotherapy is AuroShell, a gold nanoshell that doesn’t contain a conventional chemotherapy drug. Instead, the particles are heated with an infrared laser to destroy the tumor thermally.

Aurimune consists of the protein tumor necrosis factor (TNF, a previously discontinued chemotherapeutic) bound to gold nanoparticles.

Sources:

UCLA

Physics Today

If a new device for detecting breast cancer called the “Smart Bra” continues to perform well in testing and final trials, it may revolutionize breast cancer screening on many fronts.

It is inexpensive, doesn’t compress the tissue, doesn’t use radiology, has a low rate of false positives and, best of all—it can detect cancer in dense breast tissue long before a tumor is visible on a mammogram. This is good news for all women but especially young women who have dense breasts.

The Smart Bra looks like a sports bra but has sixteen small temperature sensors that take deep-tissue temperature readings of the breast during a 12-hour period. The bra detects the higher temperatures that signal blood vessel growth that precede abnormal breast tissue growth.

The bra also can be used to track how well treatment is helping women already diagnosed with breast cancer.

Wearing the Device

Since the device is small and inexpensive--about $200--the bra can be fitted in a doctor’s office. You can then go about your daily routine and remove the garment after the prescribed time period.

Data is recorded on a flash drive that is part of the garment. You then mail or return the recording device back to your physician’s office, where the data would be uploaded to a data center for evaluation. It takes less than 30 seconds to generate a report for the doctor.

The report has four different readings: normal, benign, suspected for breast tissue abnormalities or probable for breast tissue abnormalities.

Final Testing

The device has had three clinical trials with more than 650 women. It has a 90 percent accuracy rate, according to the manufacturer. The trials used a screen mammogram as a comparison.

The fourth and final trial of the Smart Bra will occur later next year with about 300 participants.

If all goes well the Smart Bra will be introduced in Europe in 2013. However, it will undergo another trial in the United States before release in 2014.

Sources:

Reno Gazette-Journal

To mark World Menopause Day (October 18) the International Menopause Society (IMS) released a comprehensive review of current research on weight gain and menopause. The bottom line is this: menopause does not cause weight gain. However, the fall in estrogen that comes with menopause does affect the way fat is distributed.

The Dreaded “Menopot”

According to review leader, Professor Susan Davis, "It is a myth that menopause causes a woman to gain weight. But there is no doubt that the new spare tire many women complain of after menopause is real, and not a consequence of any changes they have made. Rather this is the body's response to the fall in estrogen at menopause: a shift of fat storage from the hips to the waist."

Weighty Health Concerns

The review acknowledges that women do tend to gain on average about one pound per year through midlife, but it sites non-hormonal factors such as normal aging and lifestyle (diet and exercise) as the cause of “middle age spread.”

This weight gain coupled with increases in abdominal fat during menopause raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease--the number one killer of postmenopausal women. Estrogen therapy (HRT) can help prevent increasing abdominal fat after menopause but it too is not without risks such as blood clots and certain cancers.

Rather than accept weight gain as a side effect of menopause, Davis says women going through menopause should be proactive and control their weight before it becomes a problem. If you have put on a few extra pounds in midlife, menopause is a good time to make lifestyle changes. This means being thoughtful about what you eat and for many, being more active every day, she added.

As uncomfortable as it can be, it’s important to remember that menopause is a natural phase of life -- and as such, it doesn’t require any treatment whatsoever. However, if you are in need of relief from the wide ranging symptoms brought on by perimenopause or menopause, consider these natural relief therapies.

Source:

Science Daily

We first reported that the diabetes drug metformin may reduce the risk of breast cancer in a blog post last year. Since then, additional studies continue to excite researchers about the drug’s cancer-fighting potential. And more new studies are in the works with the hope of one day putting the drug into clinical practice.

One recent study looked at the relationship between diabetes, metformin use and breast cancer among over 68,000 postmenopausal women between 50 and 79 years old. At the start of the study 3,401 women had diabetes. During the study, 3,273 invasive breast cancers were diagnosed.

Women with diabetes using medications other than metformin had a slightly higher incidence of breast cancer compared to women without diabetes. However, women with diabetes who were taking metformin were less likely to have breast cancer.

Moreover, lower rates of cancer with metformin use was seen for both estrogen receptor (ER-positive) and progesterone receptor (PR-positive), and for those that were negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2-negative).

Ongoing Research

The goal for new research is to understand the biological pathway that metformin may act on. Early findings from a five-year study launched last year have researchers thinking that the key may be in metformin’s ability to lower insulin levels. They believe that lower insulin levels in turn acts on breast cancer cells by decreasing an enzyme in the cell that slows or stops the growth and proliferation of the cancer cells.

This thinking is backed by a large body of evidence linking high sugar intake, insulin resistance, obesity and metabolic syndrome to a variety of cancers including colon, pancreatic, kidney and breast cancer.

Sources:

Chicago Tribune

Journal of Clinical Oncology

American Institute for Cancer Research

Cancer Prevention

It was generally accepted that a young girl’s transition into womanhood and the accompanying increase in estrogen spurred breast development and impacted the risk of breast cancer later in life.

But a new study sheds light on another mechanism that may stimulate breast growth and development and increase the risk of breast cancer—early life diet and metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome represents a group of symptoms associated with obesity including weight gain, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol that can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

To mimic the effects of metabolic syndrome, the researchers fed mice a fatty acid known as 10, 12, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The 10, 12 CLA was added to the diet of the test mice because it is known to disrupt normal metabolic processes. In this study, the supplement stimulated the mammary ducts to grow, despite the fact that the mice lacked estrogen.

The diet-induced breast development also increased the formation of mammary tumors in some of the mice.

"The findings of this study are particularly important when we superimpose them on data showing that girls are experiencing breast development at earlier ages, coincident with a growing epidemic of childhood obesity," said Russ Hovey, senior author on the study.

Source:

Science Daily

Researchers may be one step closer to stopping what every breast cancer patient fears most—cancer metastasis, in which the five year survival rate is about 15%.

A team of scientists at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center identified the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) as a suppressor of breast cancer metastasis.

According to the researchers, LIFR protein plays a significant role in human cancer because it is down-regulated in about 40% of breast cancers and completely turned off in about 10% of cases.

Among 1,000 patients in their study, the loss of LIFR protein in the early stages of cancer led to higher rates of metastasis, recurrence and poor survival rates.

The next step in the research will be to discover how to restore the expression of LIFR and in doing so, greatly increase survival rates.

"There are many directions of research that should be pursued," said lead researcher, Li Ma, Ph.D., assistant professor in MD Anderson's Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology. "For example, in order to develop LIFR-based methods of treatment, we must further understand the mechanism of its function and regulation of its expression."

New Approach

This discovery challenges long-held assumptions about breast cancer metastasis including the belief that metastasis-suppressor genes are only a small component of metastasis compared with metastasis-promoting genes.

Ma said information about LIFR in cancer in the literature is very scarce. But some small studies have reported that LIFR is also lost in colon cancer and liver cancer through a gene-silencing mechanism called hypermethylation.

So this discovery may lead to more successful treatments for other forms of cancer as well.

Sources:

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

There is overwhelming evidence that modifiable lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise affect your risk of developing some of the most common cancers: lung, colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer. Therefore, experts estimate that 50% of cancer may be preventable.

A new Chinese study that appears in the current issue of the journal of Nutrition & Cancer may help women avoid breast cancer by modifying food choices.

The case-controlled study compared the dietary habits of 3,443 women with breast cancer to those of 3,474 women without breast cancer via a food intake questionnaire. The results were similar to previous studies in that the new study found that increased vegetable intake decreased breast cancer risk.

Specifically, they found:

• Frequent vegetable intake was associated with a 20 percent overall decrease in breast cancer risk.
• Increased intake of “allium” vegetables, including onions, garlic, chives, leeks and scallions, appeared to be especially protective against breast cancer.
• Fruit intake, overall, did not appear to reduce breast cancer risk, but certain individual types of fruit appeared to reduce breast cancer risk, including citrus fruits and “rosaceae” fruits (apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums, raspberries and strawberries).
• Both meat and fish appeared to increase breast cancer risk.

While this type of questionnaire-based study provides a weaker level of clinical evidence than prospective, randomized, controlled studies, the findings are largely consistent with similar previous studies, with the exception of the favorable association between specific types of fruit and breast cancer risk.

Women who modify their diet in accordance with this study will reap other benefits as most of the foods that appear to decrease breast cancer risk also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses.

Sources:

PubMed

Doctor Wascher

Findings from two studies focusing on breast cancer detection and treatment may help women make better healthcare choices.

Mammogram or Thermography?

Last year the FDA issued warning letters to some healthcare providers who promoted the use of thermography as a substitute for mammography to detect breast cancer. The FDA said there was no scientific evidence showing that thermography when used alone was effective in screening for breast cancer. This is also why the FDA only approved thermography devices as an additional diagnostic tool for breast cancer screening and diagnosis.

A new study confirms the FDA’s position on thermography. Researchers found that thermography missed about 50% of cancers and delivered too many false positives among the 180 women in the study. The researchers also found that 47 percent of the normal breasts got a false positive reading on the thermography scan.

While the thermal imaging technology may have a role in showing temperature and blood flow variances, the current standard for breast cancer detection remains regular breast self exam and mammography. Then if a woman has a suspicious lesion on a mammogram, the follow-up methods are an ultrasound or biopsy, or both.

Radiation Treatment Tradeoffs

Another study sheds light on the risks and benefits of a type of partial-breast radiation called brachytherapy versus whole-breast radiation. With brachytherapy a radioactive pellet is inserted near the lumpectomy site and a catheter may remain in the patient’s breast for one to two weeks.

With whole-breast radiation, beams of radiation are directed at the entire breast over a period of about six weeks.

Researchers found that women who receive brachytherpy may have higher rates of breast cancer recurrence and complications and more mastectomies.

For the study, they looked at rates of mastectomy, mortality and complications following both forms of radiation using data from medicare records of nearly 93,000 women age 67 and older for a four-year period.

Their findings were significant:

• The rates of infection and other complications were about 28 percent among women who received brachytherapy, compared with 17 percent of women who received whole-breast radiation.
• About 4 percent of the women who received brachytherapy had to have a mastectomy within five years of their radiation treatment, compared with about 2 percent of the women in the whole-breast radiation group.
• It is not clear from this study whether mastectomies were actually due to breast cancer recurrence or complications such as fatty-tissue damage in the breast, which was more common in the brachytherapy group.
• The proportion of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer who received brachytherapy increased from 3.5 percent in 2003 to 12.5 percent in 2007. This increase is probably due to a number of factors including patients wanting a shorter treatment course, say study authors.
• There was no statistical difference between the five-year survival rate associated with brachytherapy.

Brachytherapy Guidelines

According to the American Society for Radiation Oncology, brachytherapy is appropriate for women aged 60 and older with small tumors that have not spread outside of the breast, along with other indicators of less-advanced breast cancer. Data is lacking about the effectiveness of brachytherapy in younger women whose breast cancer is generally thought to be more aggressive.

Weighing the Options

While a shorter course of treatment is attractive, for some patients a greater possibility of having a second procedure and wearing a catheter for brachytherapy are enough to make them steer away from this option.

Sources:

FDA

Health Finder

The Journal of the American Medical Association

Three new studies released in as many months add to increasing evidence that exposure to certain toxic metals can increase the risk and spread of breast cancer and infertility in women and men.

Cadmium and Breast Cancer

A Swedish study of over 56,000 women found that consuming the toxic metal cadmium in the foods you eat may raise your risk for breast cancer by as much as 27%. Researchers believe that cadmium may mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen, which can fuel the growth of certain breast cancers.

The 12-year study had women fill out food intake questionnaires that researchers used to estimate how much cadmium they consumed in their diets. There were 2,112 cases of breast cancer reported during the follow-up period of which 1,626 were estrogen receptor-positive and 290 estrogen receptor-negative cancers. Women with the highest amounts of cadmium in their diets were 21% more likely to develop breast cancer than women who had the least. The risk increased to 27% among women who were also lean or normal-weight.

Interestingly, the cadmium source was a contributing factor in increasing cancer risk. Women who consumed higher amounts of whole grain and vegetables had a lower risk of breast cancer compared to women that consumed dietary cadmium through other foods.

"It's possible that this healthy diet to some extent can counteract the negative effect of cadmium, but our findings need to be confirmed with further studies," study author Agneta Akesson, an associate professor at Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

Another study found that exposure to low levels of cadmium over your lifetime may spur the growth and spread of some breast cancer cells.

According to their research, breast cancer cells can pass through the outer barrier of the breast after prolonged cadmium exposure. It appears that cadmium may affect levels of SDF-1, a protein associated with tumor invasion and cancer spread.

Cadmium, Lead and Fertility

Researchers studying the effects of serum levels of heavy metals on fertility in couples trying to conceive found that, in the women, the probability of pregnancy was reduced by 22 percent with each increase in the blood cadmium concentration. In men, the probability of conceiving was reduced by 15 percent for each increase in their blood lead concentration.

Based on their findings, the researches recommended that men and women planning to have children should minimize their exposure to lead and cadmium.

Avoiding Cadmium

Cadmium is released into the environment from mining and metal processing operations, burning fuels, making and using phosphate fertilizers, and disposing of metal products. Cadmium can enter the body from eating and drinking food and water containing cadmium, and inhaling it from the air. The skin does not easily absorb cadmium.

• Smoking is the most important single source of cadmium exposure so not smoking and avoiding second- and third-hand smoke is a good place to start.
• As most dietary exposure to cadmium is due to soil contamination from fertilizers, choose organic foods whenever possible.
• Some of the main sources of cadmium in the diet are bread and other cereals, potatoes, root crops and vegetables.
• Avoid shellfish and organ meats like liver or kidney which also contain more cadmium than other foods.
• Cadmium is also used in batteries, metal coatings, paints and plastics. People living near plants that manufacture these products may be exposed to cadmium in the air, water and soil.
• If your drinking water comes from a private well near a source of cadmium, you may want to have the water tested. Public water systems test for cadmium on a regular basis. If you live near a source of cadmium, you may want to have your garden soil tested for cadmium before eating home-grown produce.
• Cadmium and other toxic substances are often found in cosmetics and personal products.

Avoiding Lead

Common sources of exposure to lead in the United States include lead-based paints in older homes, lead-glazed pottery, and contaminated soil and water. Learn how protect your family in our post about the continuing problem of lead exposure.

Sources:

Health Finder

Health Day News

Health Finder

Illinois Department of Health

Researchers have found that specific forms of vitamin E commonly found in some vegetable oils and nuts may prevent colon, lung, breast and prostate cancers.

There are eight forms of vitamin E – all of which act as antioxidants that stop free radical damage and oxidation in your body. (Think of antioxidants as protecting your body from “rusting.”) In the vitamin E family there are four tocopherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-) and four tocotrinols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-).

In the study, animals fed vitamin E in the form of gamma-tocopherols and delta-tocopherols developed fewer and smaller tumors when exposed to cancer-causing substances. When cancer cells were injected into mice, these tocopherols also slowed the growth of tumors.

Heart Health Benefits

In addition to anti-cancer benefits, gamma-tocopherol antioxidants from food sources may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In another study conducted last year, researchers found that eating pecans high in gamma-tocopherol doubled gamma-tocopherol levels in the body and reduced unhealthy oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood by as much as 33 percent. Similar studies using pistachios found that they reduced cholesterol levels and oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are suspected of causing inflammation and plaque buildup inside blood vessels.

Food Sources:

To get all the benefits of gamma- and delta-tocopherols, include these foods in your diet:

• Soybean, canola and corn oils
• Black Walnuts, English Walnuts, pecans, pistachios
• Flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds

Sources:

Science Daily

USDA

Science Daily

Science Daily

Two new studies published this week looked at two important concerns of women battling breast cancer: quality of life and quality care.

Improving Quality of Life

In a study of 240 women with non-metastatic breast cancer, University of Miami researchers found that exercise can help improve the mental and physical well-being of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

The women who were more active reported less fatigue, depression and a better quality of life than women who were less active.

The study authors explained that women who are physically active may also have more confidence in their own ability to continue with family-related, household, work-related, or social activities, which bring meaning and satisfaction to their lives.

The same researchers previously found that stress management also improves women’s response to breast cancer treatment.

Quality Care—Says Who?

Hospitals and healthcare providers who conduct patient surveys to assess the quality of care they provide may want to take note of a recent study conducted by researchers in New York who interviewed 374 women treated for early stage breast cancer.

The women were surveyed over the phone when they first entered the study, and again six months later. The researchers then looked at the women's medical records to see what care they received.

They found that the definition of “quality care” for patients was different than that of the healthcare institution treating them. While hospitals often rate care based on whether medical guidelines and treatment protocols were followed, patients viewed quality care based on their experience of getting care and by how much they trusted their doctors.

For example, just over half (55%) of the women said the care they received was "excellent," whereas 88% actually got good-quality care in line with medical guidelines.

The researchers found that what was important to women was the ease of receiving care and good communication with their caregivers.

Women who said they received "excellent" care were more likely to report excellent treatment by medical staff, to say they knew which doctor to go to with questions or concerns and to say they had good trust and communication with their doctor. They were less likely to mistrust the medical system.

Sources:

Health Finder

Reuters

A new study of women in China found that those who consumed the most cruciferous vegetables were 63 percent less likely to die of breast cancer and 35 percent less likely to experience a recurrence of the disease, than those who ate the least.

Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, mustard greens, collard greens, kale and arugula.

This study involved almost 5,000 women between 20 and 75 years old who were part of the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study. Researchers interviewed the women within six months of their diagnosis to record information about their diet, lifestyle and tumor stage. They also asked about their intake of cruciferous vegetables at 18 and 36 months after their diagnosis. On average, the women in the new study ate about 3 1/2 ounces a day of cruciferous vegetables.

Previous studies conducted in China, the United States and Sweden suggested that higher cruciferous vegetable intake could be linked with reduced risk of developing breast cancer, but the current research is among the first to examine women after a breast cancer diagnosis.

More Benefits

In addition to finding a reduced risk of dying of breast cancer or having it return, the researchers also found that women in the top quarter for cruciferous veggie consumption were 62 percent less likely to die of any cause than those in the bottom 25 percent. This supports previous research in which the same researchers found a link between cruciferous vegetable consumption and fewer deaths and less heart disease among healthy Chinese adults, suggesting that they may promote overall health.

Cruciferous vegetables are just one food proven to help prevent cancer, there’s four more in this article highlighting the Five All-Star Foods to Help Prevent Cancer.

Source:

Health Finder