Here are a few of the recent articles about links to breast cancer which, in my personal (non-medical) opinion, may have some merit.
A study out of Georgetown University in Washington DC included 20,000 Finnish women. The result of this study concludes that women who gain 38+ pounds during pregnancy have a greater risk of developing breast cancer post-menopause. The theory behind this is that pregnancy increases the levels of estrogen, which is known to be a trigger for breast cancer. Fat tissue amplifies the level of estrogen. The personal part of my brain wants to acknowledge this study (since I gained 70,50 and 60 pounds respectively with my 3 children. I also went back to my original 110 pounds after each pregnancy). I guess everyone wants to have something to pin their diagnosis on definitively. The activist part of my brain does not understand why the weight gain during pregnancy should affect post-menopausal risk more than pre-menopause status. Since all the women were Finnish, how does that factor into the study? Why 38 pounds and not 25 or 40? How many women go over the accepted range of weight gain for pregnancy? The point here is that even though articles may seem to be covering the issue, do we really know all the facts behind them and how can we, as lay persons, assess their value? The answer, I think, is to read everything and digest what you can and then take a step back and look at the article with a critical eye.
The area of environmental links to breast cancer has been suggested many times, but no definitive links have been found. A recent study concerning PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)suggests a possible link. PCBs are chemicals which are used in many industrial and commerical applications. They were banned in the USA and Canada about 20 years ago. They remain, however, in the environment and food chain. A Canadian study compared two groups of women - 300+ with breast cancer and 500+ with no history of cancer and found that higher levels of three PCBS - 105, 118 and 156 - were associated with increased likelihood of breast cancer. These three PCBs mimic dioxin (which can cause cancer). This is the second study to link mono-ortho PCBs with breast cancer and this environmental link probably bears more investigation.
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