Healthy Metabolism Key to Breast Health in Postmenopausal Women

Postmenopausal women who are metabolically healthy but overweight do not have the same increased risk of breast cancer as those who are overweight with high insulin levels.  One of the first studies that examined the association between insulin and breast cancer looked at data from 2,830 participants in the Women's Health Initiative, 497 of whom had breast cancer.  They compared the insulin sensitivity of those of normal weight and overweight, and used the fasting insulin level to define metabolic health.  The study found that metabolically healthy overweight women were not at elevated risk of breast cancer compared with metabolically healthy normal weight women.

Source:  CancerRes, 2015: 75(2):270-274

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Fertility Drugs and Cancer Risk

HealthDay News, as quoted in ChemotherapyAdvisor, had reported a presentation to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

Nearly 10,000 women who underwent fertility treatment in the United States between 1965 and 1988 were followed for 30 years.

The researchers found "little evidence" that the use of conventional fertility drugs increased the long-term risk of breast, uterine or ovarian cancers. Given the popularity and wide-spread treatment for fertility issues in modern medicine, these results are reassuring.

For the details: www.chemotherapyadviser.com

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc.,
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Breast Cancer Rates and Obesity

The American Society of Clinical Oncology reported a study of 80,000 women in 70 clinical trials.  The object of the study was to determine the affect of obesity on breast cancer survival.  Researchers differentiated between pre- and post-menopausal women, type of cancer (ER+ or ER-), tumor size, lymph node involvement and treatment regimens to isolate the effects of BMI on mortality.  Previous studies have already linked obesity with a greater risk of developing cancer.  The results showed that death rates were significantly higher for premenopausal obese women with estrogen-receoptor (ER+) breast cancer.

Source:  Chemotherapyadvisor

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Mammography Screening Increases Breast Cancer Treatment Success

At the 2013 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the American Cancer Society presented an analysis of a broad range of studies regarding the absolute benefit of mammography screening and breast cancer mortality.

Researchers considered national and international reviews of the subject.  After standardizing the analysis of the studies, which included screenings from the age of 50 years and breast cancer death rates from the ages of 55 to 79 years, regarding the same exposure to screening, similar target population, period of screening and duration of follow-up, the conclusions were definite.

All of the reviews indicate a substantial reduction in breast cancer mortality with screening.

Source: Robert Smith, PhD, senior director of cancer screening, American Cancer Society

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Breast Cancer Prevention: Recommendations

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has published draft recommendations for preventive therapy in women with high risk of breast cancer.  Risk assessment is based on the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, which predicts 5-year cancer risk based on an individual's age, family history, ethnicity, age at first menstruation, age at first live childbirth, and personal history of ductal carcinoma, lobular carcinoma, or breast biopsies.

The recommendations are for women between the ages of 40 and 70, who have no prior diagnosis of invasive breast cancer, ductal cancer, lobular cancer, and no history of blood clots or stroke.  Preventive therapy using tamoxifen or raloxifene in this group was shown to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer by 30-56%.

For greater detail, go to: www.chemotherapyadvisor.com


Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Oral Cancer Ups Suicide Risk

Cancers combined for men, women, and children continued to decline in the United States between 2004 and 2008, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as reported in the May 2012 issue of the journal CANCER. 

The overall rate of new cancer diagnoses (or incidence) among men decreased by an average of 0.6% per year between 2004 and 2008; and for women by 0.5% per year from 1998 to 2006, with level rates from 2006 to 2008.  The special feature section highlights the effects of excess weight and lack of physical activity on cancer risk.  Esophageal adenocarcinoma, cancers of the colon and rectum, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, endometrial cancer, and breast cancer among postmenopausal women are associated with being overweight or obese.  Several of these cancers also are associated with not being sufficiently physically active.  For more than 30 years, excess weight, insufficient physical activity, and an unhealthy diet have been second only to tobacco as preventable causes of disease and death in the United States.  The journal notes that continued progress against cancer in the United States will require individual and community efforts to promote healthy weight and sufficient physical activity among youth and adults. 


Source:  CDC, March 28, 2012   


Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Webinars for Breast Cancer Survivors Popular

A study conducted at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center questioned 728 breast cancer survivors regarding information and education after definitive treatment.  The authors found that one-on-one consultation with a clinician followed up by topic-specific online webinars that included live question and answer sessions were a satisfactory method for delivering quality information and ranked higher than videos, websites and pamphlets.

Details can be found at www.chemotherapyadvisor.com

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Know Your Breast Cancer Risk

Breast Cancer Risk

A study presented at the 2013 Breast Cancer Symposium found 90.6% of women lack accurate knowledge of their own breast cancer risk.  15,004 women, aged 35 to 70, who were undergoing breast cancer screening at 21 mammography centers in New York, were surveyed in an anonymous study.  They completed a 25 question survey about their demographics, personal risk factors, and health history and were asked to quantify their own breast cancer risk by the age of 90 years.

Assessment 

Many questions were adapted from the online interactive National Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool.  Researchers then compared the calculated actual lifetime risk compared to the individual's subjective risk estimate.  Overall, only 9.4% of respondents were in line with their risk, 44.7% underestimated their risk and 45.9% overestimated their risk.

While there were some statistical differences between groups, overall understanding was low, and almost 40% of those surveyed had never discussed their personal breast cancer risk with their physician.  To underscore the importance for women to know their personal risk, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently encouraged women with increased risk to consider, with their physician, preventive therapy.

Source:  www.chemotherapyadvisor.com

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Women: Reduced Risk of Colorectal CA with Low Dose Aspirin

A recent article in the Annals of Internal Medicine, authored by Dr. Nancy Cook, followed 33,682 women, aged 45 years and older, in the Women's Health Study of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, for an average of 10 years.  While analysis showed no association with total cancer, or breast cancer, or lung cancer, those women who took long-term, alternate-day, low-dose aspirin showed a 42% risk reduction for colorectal cancer.

For more:  www.chemotherapyadvisor.com

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Breast Cancer Prevention: Recommendations

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has published draft recommendations for preventive therapy in women with high risk of breast cancer.  Risk assessment is based on the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, which predicts 5-year cancer risk based on an individual's age, family history, ethnicity, age at first menstruation, age at first live childbirth, and personal history of ductal carcinoma, lobular carcinoma, or breast biopsies.

The recommendations are for women between the ages of 40 and 70, who have no prior diagnosis of invasive breast cancer, ductal cancer, lobular cancer, and no history of blood clots or stroke.  Preventive therapy using tamoxifen or raloxifene in this group was shown to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer by 30-56%.

For greater detail, go to: www.chemotherapyadvisor.com

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Breast Cancer Detection With Cosmetic Breast Implants

Breast implants vs no implants

A report just published in the British Medical Journal, does a systematic review and meta-analysis of twelve observational studies.  The objective was to evaluate whether the stage distribution among women diagnosed as having breast cancer differs between those who have received breast implants for cosmetic purposes and those with no implants and to evaluate whether cosmetic breast augmentation before the detection of breast cancer is a predictor of post-diagnosis survival.

Breast implants have a higher risk for cancer

The systematic review suggests that women with cosmetic breast implants have later stage tumors at diagnosis of breast cancer, and that there is a higher risk of breast cancer specific mortality among women with breast cancer who have implants compared to those without implants.  The finding can be explained by the fact that both silicone and saline implants create a radiopaque shadow on mammograms, which impair visualization of breast tissue.  The study concludes that even though cosmetic breast implants have become increasingly popular in recent decades, there is increased concern that these implants may impair the ability to identify breast cancer at an early stage when survival is generally more favorable.

For the full paper, go to www.bmj.com

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Preventive Therapy for Breast Cancer

According to ChemotherapyAdvisor, with more than 226,000 new cases and 39,000 deaths annually, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women.  Risk factors that are the greatest cannot be modified--family history, age, and menopausal age.  However, studies now point to preventive therapy via pharmacologic interventions (beginning with Tamoxifen) has been shown to be beneficial.

For detailed information, read Leslie Burgess, MA, at www.chemotherapyadvisor.com




Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Breast Cancer Symptoms

The purpose of this blog is to illuminate both medical and dental issues of interest.

Thanks to screening, breast cancer often is found before a woman has any physical symptoms. Yet a woman should know how her breasts normally look and feel so that she can report any unusual changes to her doctor. Reasons to call your doctor include:

• A lump in or near your breast or under your arm
• Thick or firm tissue in or near your breast or under your arm
• A change in the size or shape of your breast
• Nipple  discharge (fluid that is not breast milk)
• Nipple changes, such as a nipple that turns inward (inverted) into the breast
• Changes to your breast skin, areola, or nipple, such as itching, redness, scaling, dimpling, or puckering

Keep in mind that most breast changes are not cancer. For instance, nipple discharge can be caused by birth control pills, some medicines, and infections. Or, a breast lump could be a cyst, which is a fluid-filled lump that is not cancer. Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain. Still, if you notice a change in your breast or pain, call your doctor and schedule a visit. Don't wait until your next checkup.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Understanding Breast Changes

A Health Guide for Women

This booklet explains normal, age-related breast changes you may experience throughout your life and how they differ from changes that indicate breast cancer. It also discusses mammograms and maintaining your breast health.

This fact sheet explains what your breasts are made of and how a normal breast should look and feel. It also discusses when to see a doctor about changes in the way your breasts normally look and feel, as well as risk factors for breast cancer. policies/disclaimers.cfm Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309