Breast Cancer Archives - Dr Andrew Orr

Breast cancer awareness is something that everyone should know about. Mankind has known breast cancer since ancient times. In 460 B.C. Hippocrates explained breast cancer as a disease caused by an excess of black bile, or “Melancholia”. He named the condition ‘Karkinos’- (Cancer)- the Greek word for crab and the astrological constellation. This was because the tumor seemed to have tentacles which reached out into the surrounding breast tissue, resembling the legs of a crab.

The history of Breast Cancer

This theory of Hippocrates held for many centuries until 1680, when the French physician Francois de la Boe Sylvius suggested that Breast Cancer developed from an increase in the disruptions of the acidity of local lymphatic fluids.

There were many theories that followed including celibacy causing breast cancer, too much rigorous sex causing disruption to the local lymph drainage and thus causing breast cancer and others linking breast cancer to mental disorder-the melancholia references again.

In 1757 Dr Henri Le Dran was the first person to suggest that the surgical removal of the tumor was the most effective treatment, provided all the lymph nodes in the armpits were removed. This must have been a horrific prospect prior to anaesthetic and proper sterilised surgical procedures. The survival rates were appalling, due to immediate death post surgery from the high infection rates. It wasn’t until 1976 that advancement in radiation and chemotherapy actually took place. This really isn’t that long ago and the first mammogram trails showing reduction of breast cancer due to early screening, where only initiated in 1989. To think that in such a short spam of time, we now have this as a routine screening tool that can save lives.

It wasn’t until 1994 that scientist have isolated the first of the genetic mutations associated with breast cancer and these genetic screening for the gene mutations and being predisposed to breast cancer. This screen has led to Angelina Jolie having a double mastectomy when testing revealed she had the BRCA1 gene mutation which predisposed her to both ovarian and breast cancer. It was estimated that Jolie had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. Jolie’s mother died at 59 from the disease in 2007.

Since Angelina Jolies decision, there was a surge in enquiries around genetic testing and medical evaluation as to breast cancer risks across all parts of the world.

Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy in women, comprising 18% of all female cancers and there is 1 million cases of breast cancer diagnosed worldwide. Most women will know someone who has had the diagnosis, based on these figures.

Despite all the testing and screening it is estimated that about 40% of women have never discussed their risk factors with there doctor, or health care practitioner.

So what can you do to reduce your risks?

The first thing anyone can do is check yourself for any noticeable signs of changes to the breast. You can also have a routine breast examination at your doctor.

Next is regular mammogram, or ultrasound screening, followed by biopsy if anything suspicious is found. Screening for genetic predisposition is another tool that should be used by all women too. About 10% of breast cancer in developed countries is due to genetic predisposition. Certain populations of people have higher genetic risk factors with the Ashkenazi Jewish population having the highest risk factors and well as risk factors for some rare genetic diseases.

The good thing with early screening and detection is that we have now seen in increase in survival rates with the increase between 72-89%.

There are also other risk factors that people need to take into consideration. Women who have their menstrual cycle too early and those who go into menopause later in life are at increase risk of developing breast cancer. Having a baby later in life also increases the risk factor for cancer. Having a baby after 35 years old doubles the risk, while having children earlier reduces the risk. Breast-feeding also reduced the risk of breast cancer too.

Obesity and lifestyle factors increasing breast cancer risks

Obesity and increased alcohol intake also increases a woman’s risk and doubles the chances of having breast cancer. Obesity doubles a woman’s risk factors in postmenopausal women and increased alcohol intake (3-6 standard drinks per day) also doubles the risk factors.

Women on the combined pill also have in increased risk of breast cancer, while progesterone only options do not increase the risk.

Lifestyle modifications

Since there is compelling evidence alcohol and obesity increase the risk of breast cancer, women do need to reduce their alcohol intake and also aim to keep their weight within a healthy range.

This is why we all need to be looking at anti-inflammatory based diets, free from inflammatory wheat grains, excess refined soy products, alcohol, refined foods and refined sugars. These highly inflammatory based foods all lead to excess blood sugars, which in turn spike insulin product. This then causes interference to hormone metabolism (namely estrogens) and also causes the body to store fats and stops the burning of fats, again interfering with estrogen metabolism. This is turns causes inflammation, which is he cause of many of our disease states and leading causes of death.

This is why I always promote a Primal based, low inflammatory, clean eating diet. This is the basis for my PACE-Diet and Lifestyle program (Paleo/Primal Ancestral Clean Eating) that I promote to my patients. This style of diet promotes leans meats, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, good fats, fresh vegetables and salads, clean water etc. This is very similar to the famous Mediterranean diet, which has to date never been scrutinized and has lot of research behind it. Eating this way will not only make you healthier for it, but will be reducing your risk factors around any inflammatory disease state. Just remember that 90% of breast cancers come from non-hereditary factors related to lifestyle and the way we eat in the modern world.

Early detection and awareness is vital

It is well known that early detection and treatment is vital to survival rates in women with breast cancer. It is so important to regularly check for lumps and bumps and talk to your doctor about regular screening. If you have hereditary risks then talk to your healthcare provider, or specialist about genetic screening for breast cancer.

Let’s all raise awareness for breast cancer and support more research into finding a cure for this disease that affects millions of women world wide each year.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Master of Women’s Health Medicine

-The Women’s Health Experts

Over the next week I am going to focus on a very serious subject – Cancers in women.

Having recently focusses on the awareness of endometriosis and adenemyosis, I thought I should bring some awareness to the topic of cancers in women as a whole. This isn’t to scare people either. It is to bring awareness to a very serious topic and to help people understand the importance of early intervention and changes to diet and lifestyle can greatly reduce the risks of this horrible disease.

With cancer rates increasing I am going to focus on the cancers that affect the female reproductive system and impact of reproductive health. This will also include those cancers that increase after menopause too. Whenever I talk about fertility and reproduction, it is referring to the stage in life when women are fertile and are of reproductive age. Menopause is also including because that still comes under the reproductive system.

Cancer has been around a long time

Humankind has been dealing with the impact of cancer and malignancy for its entire history and the first clear description of any cancer is found in the Ebers Papyrus, dating from nearly 3500 years ago. The cancer was very accurate described by the Egyptian writer and what was described was in fact breast cancer. Chinese Medicine has texts dating back for further than that, describing the different forms of cancers and their treatments. Modern medicine does tend to only reference Greek, Egyptian and Roman text.

When these Greek physicians first cut the surface of a breast cancer, it did in fact resemble a crab, because of it solid central body, with extensions into the surrounding tissue resembling legs.

The ancient Greek word for crab is “Karkinos” which in Latin is translated into ‘cancer’- as in the astrological sign. This term was then extended into all cancers and malignancies, not just breast cancer.

Genetic, hereditary and hormonal links to cancer

It is believed that cancer is predominantly caused by a failure in the regulation of genes which govern cell growth and differentiation. Malignant change is most typically the result of a cascade of changes in a number of genes.

These changes in genes can be bought on by hereditary genetic genetic changes, while others may be the incorporation of foreign viral DNA, or a compound that may act as the primary trigger for malignant change. Some cancers and malignancies are also caused by hormonal stimulation both internally and by injection, or ingestion of hormones from an outside source (Drugs, Hormone Replacement etc).

Diet and lifestyle links to cancer

Other cancers are plain and simply caused by the highly inflammatory foods we eat and the lifestyle we live. Obesity and being overweight increases our cancer risks and there are no many studies proving these links. Having excess fat stores, eating highly processed foods, high GI foods and over 3-4 glasses of alcohol per week can increase your cancer risks exponentially. This why we all need to adopt a clean eating approach to foods and look at eating less refined foods and more whole foods.

The incidence of cancers in women is highest in developing western countries and lowest in countries such as Africa and Asia. The difference has more to do with diet than it does genetics. Since there is compelling evidence that alcohol, highly refined foods and obesity increase the risk of cancers in women (and men) I will be focusing greatly on the need for us all to look at changing our diets to not only help in the prevention of certain cancers, but to also help prevention of other disease states that are leading causes of our lives being cut short.

The most common cancer in women

Since breast cancer remains the most common malignancy in women, comprising of 18% of all female cancers, most women will know someone who has had this diagnosis.

I’ll focus on breast cancer firstly and then go into the other cancers so that we can all be educated about how we can prevent these disease states from increasing. If you have any questions, or topics you want discussed around this topic, please let me know

Take care and remember prevention is better than cure. Always talk to your doctor, or healthcare practitioner about cancer risks and always seek early intervention if you find any lumps and bumps that were not there before.

Hope you the topics help you all. If I can save just one person with this information, then I am happy. Lets try and save more than one, so please like and share to spread the word.