A new study, published in JNCI, has found women over 50 who lost the weight and managed to keep it off had a reduced risk of developing breast cancer compared to those women whose weight remained the same. The team notes that women who lost their weight were not taking postmenopausal hormones.
While there is a lot of research on how high body mass index (BMI) can increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, there had been no research to show if losing an excessive amount of weight could reduce that risk. That is why a team of researchers that included those from the American Cancer Society and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health set out to investigate this link.
For the study, the team examined 10 prospective studies that included 180,000 women who were 50 or older. Their finding revealed sustained weight loss helped reduce the risk of breast cancer in women in this age range.
"Our results suggest that even a modest amount of sustained weight loss is associated with lower breast cancer risk for women over 50," lead author of the study Lauren Teras told a news portal. Adding, "These findings may be a strong motivator for the two-thirds of American women who are overweight to lose some of that weight. Even if you gain weight after age 50, it is not too late to lower your risk of breast cancer."
Another study, presented at the 2019 NCRI Cancer Conference, revealed a new blood test could detect breast cancer five years before showing signs of the condition. "We need to develop and further validate this test," Daniyah Alfattani, a PhD student who was part of the research, told a news portal. Adding, "However, these results are encouraging and indicate that it's possible to detect a signal for early breast cancer. Once we have improved the accuracy of the test, then it opens the possibility of using a simple blood test to improve early detection of the disease."
Alfattani further explained:"A blood test for early breast cancer detection would be cost effective, which would be of particular value in low and middle income countries. It would also be an easier screening method to implement compared to current methods, such as mammography."
Meanwhile, a 2017 study warns one drink of alcohol a day could increase your risk of the medical condition. "It can be confusing with single studies when the findings get swept back and forth," Anne McTiernan, lead author of the study and cancer prevention expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, told a news portal. Adding,"With this comprehensive and up-to-date report the evidence is clear: Having a physically active lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight throughout life and limiting alcohol -- these are all steps women can take to lower their risk."
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