Diabetes and Breast Cancer
No one wants to have their doctor tell them that they have fallen victim to either diabetes or breast cancer. Now it looks as though there is a link between these two. The good news here is that reducing your risk of developing diabetes may also reduce your risk for breast cancer. This is an excerpt from a recent post at the PCRM site:
| October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to learn about the best ways to fight this disease. Although tests and treatments for breast cancer should be discussed with medical professionals, preventative measures through diet and lifestyle may be the most important step women can take. Recently, a study was published showing the link between diabetes and breast cancer. It appears that having diabetes increases breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Researchers followed 52,657 women with diabetes and 30,210 women without diabetes and tracked who developed breast cancer and whether diabetes medication could alter their breast cancer risk. Postmenopausal women with diabetes had a 12 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer, compared with women without diabetes. Diabetes medications appeared to do nothing to lower breast cancer risk. A 2010 report from the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association found that having diabetes more than doubled the risk of pancreatic, liver, and endometrial cancers and also increased the risk of breast, bladder, and colorectal cancer. It’s important for women to know these connections: Avoiding one disease such as diabetes can help prevent another. Redaniel MT, Jeffreys M, May MT, Ben-Shlomo Y, Martin RM. Associations of type 2 diabetes and diabetes treatment with breast cancer risk and mortality: a population-based cohort study among British women. [published online ahead of print Sept 13, 2012]. Cancer Causes Control. DOI: 10.1007/s10552-012-0057-0. Giovannucci E, Harlan DM, Archer MC, et al. Diabetes and Cancer: A Consensus Report. CA Cancer J Clin. 2010;33:1674-1685. |
Learning all you can helps you take control of your own future. Watch this space for more information on this and other health related matters. We make it easy and fun to protect your health and enjoy a vibrant active lifestyle.
