October is a National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Homage is paid to women as well as the men who have suffered from this disease or are still going through. The exact cause of breast cancer is still not known but certain risk factors like hereditary, radiations, estrogen levels and age are the contributing elements. Few like weight, exercises and lifestyle are the controllable one while age and hereditary are uncontrollable. The U.S. National Library of Medicine reported that one in every eight woman is affected with breast cancer. Self examination and mammography can stop this disease at the early stage. The early diagnosis can increase the rate of better treatment for this disease.
A new study suggests that the use of antioxidants in patients of breast cancer either increases or decreases the risk of recurrent cancer and death; depending on the type of vitamin they use. About 2,300 women who use vitamin C or E at the early stage have a lower risk of developing this again than those who don't use them.
On the other hand, an increased use of carotenoids increases the risk of breast cancer. Carotenoid includes beta carotene, lutein and vitamin A. Thus women using dietary supplements with high level of caretenoids must be careful as these are harmful. If beta-carotene supplements are given to smokers, it increases their susceptibility to lung cancer.
A new study on breast cancer shows that tamoxifen, which is breast cancer drug cause diabetes in older women. 14,000 women with age above 65 and victims of breast cancer were analyzed and about ten percent had developed diabetes. A family history and obesity also increases the risk factor.
The study further elaborated that women taking tamoxifen had a quarter risk of developing diabetes than those who were not using it. The drug increases the risk, but only in women who are predisposed to diabetes. Thus it is not necessary that every woman with breast cancer is going to have diabetes after using this drug. Tamoxifen is a very important drug for cancer treatment and more research should be carried out to know the linkages of diabetes and this drug.
