UK Study Shows That Everyday Chemicals Raise Country's Breast Cancer Rates

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Ever since they have routinely added synthetic chemicals to everyday household and personal care products, the breast cancer rate among women in the UK has risen dramatically, says Breast Cancer UK, a British charity.

According to the UK office for National Statistics, in 1971 out of 100,000 women, only 66 got breast cancer, in 2010 the figure jumped to 126 per 100,000 - an increase of nearly 100%. However, since screening was introduced in 1987, the number of women dying from the disease has been falling steadily.

Women are exposed to toxic chemicals every time they put on makeup, clean the house or use plastic. A growing number of scientists believe that routine exposure to such chemicals may be having an impact on breast cancer rates.

Breast Cancer UK predicts that 1 in every 8 women will develop breast cancer at some time in their lives. This increase in breast cancer rates is expected to continue rising.

The authors of a new report from Breast Cancer UK say that it is possible to reduce chemical exposure by taking some simple steps. Many things that people come into contact with every day have chemicals we do not know very much about, especially what long-term exposure might cause. Examples of products include the lining of bottles and food cans, plastic lunch boxes, personal care products, cosmetics, and cleaners. According to Breast Cancer UK, many of these products do contain chemicals that raise the risk of developing breast cancer.

The charity says that the chemicals in these products typically end up inside a woman's body. On a daily basis, people may be rubbing hormone-distributors which make their way into the body through their skin. We are also eating and drinking these chemicals.

Here are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure to breast cancer causing chemicals:

Shop for safer products - products today list which chemicals are included in their manufacture or preparation. Look for goods that have a certified label for organic ingredients. Labels with few ingredients tend to have products which are less toxic. Also, when using these products, do so less often and in smaller amounts.

Be extra careful with food and drink - if you are drinking or eating chemical-laden products, you are much more likely to have an accumulation of hazardous chemicals in your body. Be especially careful with babies and young children, they cannot eliminate these compounds from their system as well as adults can, especially BPA and other hormone disrupting substances. Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. revealed in Hormones & Cancer in 2010, in a study in mice that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals can raise a female's risk of cancer later on in life. Examples of hormone-altering substances include bisphenol-A (BPA) and diethylstilbestrol (DES)


Cut down on consuming or using the following products:

• Foods and drinks that come in cans. Look out for cans that say they are BPA free on the label. The majority of cans contain Bisphenol A (BPA). A chemical that upsets our hormone system - BPA has been associated with breast cancer risk.


• Products with fragrance added, such as cleaning products, washing powder (detergent) and air fresheners. In order to make them unpalatable (undrinkable), manufacturers commonly add PVC.


• Body care products - avoid, or cut down on the ones that contain TEA (triethanolamine), Formaldehyde, DEA (diethanolamine), Parabens, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, Phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DMP, DEP), DMDM Hydantoin, Triclosan, Fragrance, PEGs (polyethylene glycol), and anything with "glycol" or "methyl.


• Hand washes and anti-bacterial soaps - look for products without Triclosan, which can disrupt hormones and has been associated with breast cancer risk


• Toothpaste - avoid those that contain Triclosan. If you really want to go back to basics, brush your teeth with baking soda.


• Products with Parabens - some drinks, pie fillings, beers, pickles and jams may contain Parabens. Parabens may disrupt the hormones. Cosmetic product labels will list them if they have been added, however food products might not. Seek out Parabens-free goods. Scientists from the University of Reading, England, found traces of Parabens in all the tumor samples taken from women with breast cancer. They added that further studies are needed to find out why.

You can make your make your own cleaning products:

• Window cleaner - mix three tablespoons of vinegar with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. Some people say the vinegar-water mix should be 50-50. If the windows are very dirty, use ½ teaspoon of liquid soap, 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 cups of water. Shake it all up. Wipe the glass afterwards with newspaper rather than paper toweling them.


• All purpose disinfectant - mix 2 teaspoons of borax, 4 tablespoons of vinegar and 3 to 4 cups of hot water into a spray bottle. If you want it to be extra powerful, add ¼ teaspoon of liquid soap.


• General dusting - use a damp cloth. You could add 1 teaspoon of olive oil per ½ cup of vinegar, mix it all together in a bowl and use it to wet a small cloth.

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New Breakthrough For In Vitro Fertilization

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered that a chemical can trigger the maturation of small eggs to healthy, mature eggs, a process that could give more women the chance of successful IVF treatment in the future. The results have been published in the journalPloS ONE. 

Women and girls treated for cancer with radiotherapy and chemotherapy are often unable to have children as their eggs die as a result of the treatment. 

Although it is now possible to freeze eggs and even embryos, this is not an option for girls who have yet to reach puberty. A better way of preserving their fertility is to freeze slices of ovarian tissue that contain small immature eggs, and subsequently mature these eggs so that they can be used in IVF treatment. Unfortunately there is, at present, no way of maturing small eggs in an artificial environment outside the body. 

A research group led by professor Kui Liu at the University of Gothenburg has recently discovered that a chemical which inhibits the PTEN molecule can trigger the maturation of small eggs to form healthy, mature eggs. 

Carrying out a study on mice, the researchers managed to produce five live young mice from eggs matured using this PTEN inhibitor to help the growth and maturation process. 

The results have been published in PloS ONE and build on previous results published in Science, where the group showed that PTEN is a molecule that inhibits an egg's development. 

"This discovery demonstrates that there is a realistic chance of being able to use PTEN inhibitors to activate small eggs in a test tube," says Kui Liu, professor at the University of Gothenburg's Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology. 

Professor Kui Liu has led the study and is optimistic about the new method. "This technique is extremely valuable for those women who have only small eggs in their ovaries and cannot be helped by IVF as things stand," says Kui Liu. 

Kui Liu's group demonstrated in the study that a short treatment with the PTEN inhibitor can trigger the growth of small eggs, and that this treatment makes it possible to produce plenty of mature eggs. 

The results also show that healthy, live young can be born from treated eggs used in IVF. Not only were the young mice born fertile, they also showed no signs or symptoms of chronic disease at the age of 15 months, which equates to 70 human years. 

Kui Liu is a professor of molecular biology and his group specialises in the study of molecular mechanisms that affect the development of female reproductive cells. His aim is to be able to use this method to help women. 

"We hope to see this method being used clinically within five to ten years," says Kui Liu. 

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New Study Reaffirms That Breast Cancer Screening Saves Lives

Dr. Enrique Jacome

The study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention is the largest of its kind in Australia and one of the largest in the world. It followed about 4,000 women in a study of the BreastScreen program in Western Australia. 

University of Melbourne Research Fellow Dr Carolyn Nickson and colleagues from the Melbourne School of Population Health said the findings reaffirmed the importance and efficacy of mammography. 

The study focused on women aged 50-69 years, who are in the target age range for screening. It included 427 cases where women had died from breast cancer and 3,650 control women who were still alive when the other women died. 

The research team compared screening attendance between the two groups and found screening was much lower among women who had died from breast cancer, a finding that is consistent with a similar study from South Australia and with numerous studies from around the world. Comparison with similar studies showed an average estimate of a 49% reduced risk of dying. 

Some other studies including studies from Australia claim that screening doesn't reduce risk of dying from breast cancer. However, these studies do not compare outcomes for individual women. 

"Sound research methods have been used in this study. I believe it is time to move on from the debate about whether screening reduces mortality and to instead direct research resources to help improve the program for women who choose to use it," Dr Nickson said. 

"It is important that Australian women have accurate information about the pros and cons of participating in BreastScreen. The findings of this study may help women decide whether to participate." 

"Early detection is the key to early treatment and the free BreastScreen program is the best health service available to detect breast cancers earlier in women aged 50-69 years."

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Study Shows That Post-Menopausal Women Have Difficulty With Long-Term Weight Loss

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Postmenopausal women naturally consume much less energy than when they were younger, the strategies and behaviors they followed earlier in life are simply not sustainable or effective in the long-term any more, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Health and Physical Activity, reported in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The authors added that several factors work against postmenopausal women when they try to lose weight over the long term.

Several studies have looked at postmenopausal body weight control and diets. A team of researchers from the University of Illinois said that postmenopausal dieting women should eat plenty of protein so that they do not lose too much muscle. Another study warned thathigh-protein diets may encourage bone density loss in postmenopausal women.

Even for younger females and men of all ages, dropping the pounds initially during a diet is usually achievable, but keeping the weight off over the long term is challenging. For postmenopausal women, the authors say, it is much harder.

Postmenopausal women are at a higher risk of developing certain diseases and conditions - those who are overweight have an even higher risk. Overweight postmenopausal women who manage to lose weight, have much better health outcomes. A study carried out by researchers from the Prevention Center at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, found that those who lost at least 5% of their bodyweight had noticeable reductions in markers of inflammation.

The researchers found that behaviors which are linked to weight loss initially during a diet and exercise drive, just simply do not work after a while for post-menopausal females. They believe that interventions which target these behaviors could help older women achieve positive long-term outcomes, especially obese women.

Lead researcher Bethany Barone Gibbs, PhD, explained that several factors make weight loss much harder for post-menopausal women:

"Not only does motivation decrease after you start losing weight, there are physiological changes, including a decreased resting metabolic rate. Appetite-related hormones increase. Researchers studying the brain are now finding that you have enhanced rewards and increased motivation to eat when you've lost weight."

If you add them all up, greater appetite, a lower resting metabolic rate, etc., it is very difficult for post-menopausal women to lose weight and to keep it off.

Traditionally, treatments, particularly behavioral ones for obesity, have over-concentrated on keeping the calories down - an approach which may sound good in theory, but has very disappointing long-term results. Dr. Gibbs and team set out to find out what impact certain alterations in eating behaviors and selected foods might have on weight loss after six and 48 months. They focused just on post-menopausal women who were overweight.

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Study Shows Working Moms Enjoy Better Physical & Mental Health

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Moms who work full-time are healthier at age 40 than moms who stay at home, work part time, or moms who find themselves repeatedly out of work. This was the result of a study reported on Monday, the last day of the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in Denver, Colorado.

Co-author Adrianne Frech, Assistant Sociology Professor at the University of Akron in Ohio, told the press, work is good for both physical and mental health, for many reasons: "It gives women a sense of purpose, self-efficacy, control and autonomy." "They have a place where they are an expert on something, and they're paid a wage," she added.

However, Frech and co-author Sarah Damaske of Pennsylvania State University, said rather than stir up the going-out-to-work versus stay-at-home debate, their research highlights a recently identified group, whom they label the persistently unemployed.

 
They say this group of mothers deserves more attention because they appear to be the least healthy at around age 40. Persistently unemployed mothers are in and out of the workforce, often not by their own choice. They repeatedly experience the highs and lows of finding rewarding work, only to lose it and have to start all over again. This becomes a health risk because of the stress caused by work instability.

"Struggling to hold onto a job or being in constant job search mode wears on their health, especially mentally, but also physically," said Frech. "Women with interrupted employment face more job-related barriers than other women, or cumulative disadvantages over time," she added.

For their study, Frech and Damaske analyzed longitudinal data on 2,540 women who became mothers between 1978 and 1995. After adjusting for other factors that could influence the findings, such as prior health, employment before pregnancy, race/ethnicity, single motherhood, cognitive ability, and age at first birth, they found the choices women make early in their professional lives can influence their health later on.

Women who go back to full time work shortly after having children reported better health, both physical and mental. They have more mobility, less tendency to depression, and have more energy, at age 40.

Frech and Damaske suggest if women are able to make good choices before they have their first child, they are more likely to enjoy better health later on. "Examples of good choices could be delaying your first birth until you're married and done with your education, or not waiting a long time before returning to the workforce," said Frech.

Frech suggests working full time brings many benefits that part time workers rarely see: not only is the pay higher, but the chances of promotion are better, there is more job security and more fringe benefits. In contrast, mothers who stay at home may find themselves socially isolated and financially dependent.

Work makes you healthier and gives you the opportunity to save a nest egg, says Frech. "Also, should a divorce happen, it is harder to enter the workforce if you don't have a solid work history. Don't give up on work and education," she adds.

Frech also suggests society benefits when single mothers are offered child care and transportation, because this results in better job prospects for them.

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Study Shows Exercise Can Protect Premenopausal Women's Bones

Dr. Enrique Jacome

According to new research, premenopausal women who engage in physical activity can significantly reduce a known inhibitor of bone formation called sclerostin. 

The study, which will be published in the October issue of Endocrine Society'sJournal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM), also found that physical activity improved IGF-1 levels, which have a positive impact on bone formation.

Sclerostin is a glycoprotein produced primarily by osteocytes, the most abundant cells found in the human bone. Once released, sclerostin migrates to the bone surface where it triggers the production of cells that help bones develop.

Mohammed-Salleh M. Ardawi, Ph.D., FRCPath, professor at the Center of Excellence for Osteoporosis Research and Faculty of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, explained: 

"Physical activity is good for bone health and results in lowering sclerostin, a known inhibitor of bone formation and enhancing IGF-1 levels, a positive effector on bone health. We also found physical activity training that enhances mechanical loading in combination with anabolic therapeutic agents will had added positive effect on bone health, particularly bone formation."

The team examined 1,235 premenopausal women for the study. They followed 58 women during an 8-week course of physical activity training and compared them with 62 women who acted as controls.

All study participants underwent a medical examination and had their measurements taken for bone mineral density, bone turnover markers, serum sclerostin and IGF-1.

The team found that women who engaged in 2+ hours of physical activity per week had considerably lower levels of serum sclerostin than those who had less than 2 hours of physical activity per week. However, those who regularly exercised had higher IGF-1 levels.

Ardawi said:

"Physical activity training is conceptually simple, inexpensive, and can serve practical purposes including reducing the risk of low bone mass, osteoporosis, and consequently fractures. Our study found that even minor changes in physical activity were associated with clear effects on serum levels of sclerostin, IGF-1 and bone turnover markers."

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Hospital Creates Guidelines To Help Identify Mothers At Risk Of Postpartum Depression

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Although 13 percent of new mothers experience postpartum depression (PPD) in the first year after childbirth, few women recognize the symptoms and seldom discuss their feelings with a health care provider. University of Louisville Hospital (ULH) hopes to change this statistic through a new policy to guide hospital-based perinatal nurses in caring for women with risk of PPD. 

M. Cynthia Logsdon, PhD, APRN, FAAN, professor, University of Louisville School of Nursing, and associate chief of nursing research, University of Louisville Hospital and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, and her team created evidence-based practice guidelines using research recently published on-line in The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing. 

"The hospital policies and procedures are designed to provide perinatal nurses the tools they need to prepare new mothers so they are able to self-monitor for symptoms of depression and know what steps to take if they experience symptoms," Logsdon said. 

According to Logsdon, most hospitals lack comprehensive perinatal patient PPD assessment, education and referral policies. Although professional organizations such as the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario previously published a best practices guideline, the recommendations did not focus on the first few days following childbirth or nursing care while the new mother was hospitalized. 

"Our recommendations for nursing practice of hospital-based perinatal nurses go beyond previous published guidelines," Logsdon said. 

Logsdon and her team, Diane Eckert, BSN, RN, clinical manager, mother-baby unit, ULH, and Roselyn Tomasulo, RN, MSN, perinatal educator, collaborated with internationally-known researchers in the field to draft the article, Identification of Mothers at Risk for Postpartum Depression by Hospital Based Perinatal Nurses. A task force of clinical nurses was consulted to determine how to improve nursing practice at ULH. Implementation included identifying at-risk patients and referral sources; physician and staff education was another component. 

"When many nurses enter the profession, they don't fully understand their critical role as patient educators," Tomasulo said. "We are helping our perinatal nurses feel more competent in their roles by offering inter-hospital on-line education and staff training." 

During the obstetric patient admission process, ULH perinatal nurses now assess new mothers for PPD and suicide risk factors: low-income status, lack of social support and previous history of depression. If a patient is at risk, it is reported to the obstetrical physician. The evening before hospital discharge, all new mothers fill out a questionnaire that utilizes the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Mothers are asked questions such as whether they feel anxious or worried for no particular reason and whether they feel sad or miserable. The higher the score, the greater the risk for PPD. 

The physician, social services worker and oncoming shift nurse are then informed. The nurse who administered the EPDS reviews the results of the depression screening with the patient and her support person. Patients also are informed about depression symptoms and what to do if they begin to feel hopeless. 

New mothers go home with a list of community resources and physician referrals, so names and numbers are at their finger-tips in case they need to seek help. They're asked to retake the EPDS questionnaire about a week later after leaving the hospital to see if they're experiencing PPD symptoms. 
"We hope our work will be seen as a model of good policy and can be considered by other hospitals and professional organizations," Logsdon said. 

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