Bone Density And Your Risk Of Breast Cancer
According to the China View research is indicating that there is a definite link between bone density and an increased risk of breast cancer.
Hip bone mineral density may be able to assist in predicting a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer after menopause. The study followed 9941 women that were on average 63 years old and postmenopausal. The study was conducted over 8.4 years.
The study done by Zhao Chen, Ph.D. of the University of Arizona College of Public Health in Tucson, Arizona revealed that the higher the hip bone mineral density there is a higher likelihood of a greater exposure to estrogen and since breast cancer is usually estrogen driven there’s a link between the two.
That means calculating a woman’s bone mineral density could shed light on a person’s risk of developing breast cancer. Of course it’s too early to tell how this information might be used in the future, especially as a preventative measure, it certainly does show us that we still don’t’ have a full understanding of breast cancer and how to predict who might be most at risk. Never the less this research is just one more study that helps clarify things.
Chan wrote,
Bone mineral density testing is done to diagnose osteoporosis and help assess the risk of fractures. Low bone mineral density is linked to higher risk of fractures, while normal density is linked to lower risk of fractures. It is possible that over a woman’s lifetime, hormonal and other factors that lead to higher bone mineral density can also lead to higher risk of breast cancer.
Link | July 31st, 2008 at 10:10 pm