Breast Cancer and the Hormone Treated Cows

Breast Cancer became a real widespread phenomenon on the rise. Hormones seem to play a role in many cases of breast cancer, but just how this happens is not fully understood.  Many other causes were suggested and studied.  However, the effect of hormones we get from the animals we eat was not thoroughly studied.  Different cancers have different risk factors.  Some risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, and diet are linked to things a person does. Others, like a person's age, race, or family history, can't be changed. But having a risk factor, or even many, doesn’t mean that a person will get the disease.

Studied Risk Factors for women who do get breast cancer:

·        Gender (99% women)

·        Age (over 55)

·        Genetic Risk Factors and Family History (note:  70% - 80% of women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of this cancer)

·        Race (White women are slightly more likely to get breast cancer than are African-American women)

·        Menstrual Periods (Women who began having periods early (before age 12) or who went through the change of life (menopause) after the age of 55)

·        Earlier Breast Radiation (Women who have had radiation treatment to the chest area)

·        Treatment with DES.

·        Not Having Children or Having Them Later in Life (after age 30)

·        Long term Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy (PHT)

·        Breast-feeding and Pregnancy (Some studies have shown that breast-feeding slightly lowers breast cancer risk.  One study found that having more children and breast-feeding longer could reduce the risk of breast cancer by half.)

·        Alcohol

·        Food we eat and cosmetics (not clear yet)

·        Being Overweight or Obese

·        Having dense breasts (Women with dense breast tissue have less fat and more breast cells and connective tissue in their breasts.  Because they have a greater proportion of breast cells, the risk of breast cancer is higher) 

·        Benign breast disease ( Most non-cancerous /benign breast conditions don't increase breast cancer risk, but some may mean that you have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. 

·        Past treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma (radiotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma in the past could increase risk)

·        Exercise (Studies show that exercise reduces breast cancer risk)

Current studies that show no probable effect for causing breast cancer:

·        Antiperspirants

·        Under-wire bras

·        Induced abortions

·        Silicone breast implants

·        Tobacco Smoke (Most studies have found no link between active cigarette smoking and breast cancer)

The following is a list of factors which could possibly increase risk of getting breast cancer.  Researchers are investigating the following factors, but it doesn't mean they are necessarily a risk. 

• The birth control pill        

·        Diet, including fat intake (Studies of fat in the diet have not clearly shown that this is a breast cancer risk).

• Having uneven breasts   
• Injury to the breast
• Having a pregnancy terminated   
• Stress
• Pollution (research does not show a clear link between breast cancer risk and environmental pollutants. However, there is a database of tests conducted using different chemicals used on animals that show a clear connection between some chemicals and the increase in breast cancer in animals)

Hormones, Food and the Increased Risk

The use of estrogen alone does not seem to increase the risk of developing breast cancer much, if at all. But when used long-term (for more than 10 years), some studies have found that ERT increases the risk of ovarian and breast cancer.   Most studies found that breast cancer is less common in countries where the typical diet is low in fat (less animal fat).  On the other hand, many studies of women in the United States have not found breast cancer risk to be linked to how much fat they ate (this is surprising!!!).  Researchers are still not sure how to explain this difference.  More research is needed to better understand the effect of the types of fat eaten and body weight on breast cancer risk.

Slaughtered Cattle

In 2005, about 33 million cattle were slaughtered to provide beef for US consumers and about 80% of the cattle raised for slaughter are injected with hormones to make them grow faster.  According to the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures Relating to Public Health, the use of natural and artificial growth hormones in beef production poses a potential risk to human health.  Currently, there is no research or study made to clarify if the long-term consumption of hormone residues in meat can disrupt human hormone balance, which in turn can cause developmental problems, or even cancer.  The European Union’s Committee reported that as of 1999, no comprehensive studies had been conducted to determine whether hormone residues in meat can be cancer-causing.  Hormone residues in beef have been implicated in the early onset of puberty in girls, which could put them at greater risk of developing breast and other forms of cancer.  In cattle, these hormones are intended to boost growth rates and increase body mass. This hormone-treated meat can cause the same effect on humans consuming this meat.

Got Milk?

From a recent “got milk” advertisement: “Some studies suggest milk can play an important role in achieving healthy weight”.  Which studies are these? I never knew that the fat and calories milk contains could help you lose weight.  America’s dairy cows are given a genetically-engineered artificial growth hormone called rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) to increase milk production. These measures mean much higher milk production and increased profits for the beef and dairy industries. FDA approval for rBGH came in 1993, in spite of strong opposition from scientists, farmers and consumers.  The FDA relied solely on a study done by Monsanto in which rBGH was tested for 90 days on 30 rats. The study was never published, and the FDA stated the results showed no significant problems. But a review by the Canadian health agency on rBGH found that the 90-day study showed a significant number of issues, which should have triggered a full review by the FDA.  The FDA approved rBGH based on a study done on rats and never followed up on the long-term effects on humans. 

When you eat meat, and drink milk, think twice about the long-term effects of the added hormones in these food items.   If you look at a map listing the countries that have significant numbers of breast cancer you will clearly understand the link.  All these countries consume large amounts a hormone processed meat.

Written by: Albert Talker

Submitted to Web Site by: Albert Talker