RISKS

The incidence of breast cancer in women has recently leveled off from a two percent rise per year since 1980. However, this type of cancer is still the most frequently diagnosed malignant tumor in women in the United States. It is estimated that between 150,000 to 190,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,000 to 46,000 women will die in the United States in 1996. From these, about 10 percent will be the inherited form of the breast cancer.

In a recent six-month study from England of female smokers with precancerous lesions in the cervix, in 23 of 28 women who stopped smoking or cut down smoking by 75 percent, the lesions shrank or disappeared . The lesions vanished in 14 percent of the 28 women who stopped smoking or cut back substantially. Ten of the 17 women who stopped smoking completely showed a 50 percent reduction in the size of the lesions. Additionally, 28 percent of 47 women who were unable to cut back on their smoking showed lesions which grew larger and none of the lesions disappeared in these women. These results add to a growing body of evidence linking cigarette smoking to cancer. The effect of smoking does not seem to be confined to increased incidence of lung, mouth or throat cancers. Chemicals found in cigarettes have been detected in cervical tissue, and it has been noted that these chemicals may weaken the ability of the cervical cells to fight infection.

Other risk factors for cervical cancer include birth control pills, sexually transmitted diseases, and starting sexual activity at a young age. Cancer of the cervix can be detected by Pap smear. However, many women do not regularly go to their doctor to get the Pap smear. Approximately 2.5 million women are told each year that their Pap-smear test has revealed mild cervical abnormalities or precancerous lesions. Although doctors are still unsure exactly which lesions will develop into cancer, if detected in its early stages, cervical cancer is easily treatable. Considering that cancer is a process that can take 20 to 30 years, annual Pap smears can lead to the early diganosis and treatment of cervical cancer.

Researchers have reported a study in which thin women around 5' 5" or taller had a 46 percent increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to shorter, heavier women.In the new study of women aged between 20 and 45, the risk of breast cancer seemed to continue to increase with increasing height, while decreasing with increasing weight in premenopausal women. Thinness was evaluated by the use of a standardized measure of body-mass index (BMI) which is defined as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. The risk for breast cancer decreased by 35 percent in women under the age of 45 with a BMI of 28.8 compared to women with BMIs under 22. Although the weight and height may be risk factors for breast cancer in premenopausal women, the same may not be true for postmenopausal women. Previous studies have demonstrated fat intake and obesity to increase the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Additionally, family history of the disease is a risk factor for both groups of women.Although the findings gave a clear indication of a correlation between height/weight and risk of breast cancer, researchers are at a loss in explaining as why height increases the risk for breast cancer. Early menstruation can lead to an increased production of estrogen, and the increased exposure to the hormone is thought to lead to an increased risk of breast cancer. Therefore, it can be speculated that an increase height which often stems from good eating habits may in turn lead to early menstruation and consequently a greater risk of breast cancer.A critic of the study has noted however, that a thin woman may be more likely to find a lesion in her breast than a woman who is heavy, and that this may account for the findings.

PREVENTION

Researchers have found that human breast cells produce an anticancer protein that is most active during pregnancy. The report indicates that the substance was extremely potent in curbing the growth of tumors in a mouse-model of the familial form of the breast cancer. Normally, it would take a series of treatments to halt this type of cancer.The substance is made in the breast and ovarian cells under the control of a gene called BRCA1. The gene was discovered in mid-September, 1994, and up until now, scientists were unsure of its normal function in the cell. Mutations of the gene was shown to be responsible for the inherited forms of breast and ovarian cancers. The BRCA1 gene, along with a related gene BCRA2, is thought to account for the majority of the inherited cases of breast cancers. Although several aspects of the work remains to be confirmed, it is hoped that the discovery could lead to important possibilities for the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers.

Bladder cancer test

A recent report is bringing hope to finding a simple and yet accurate test for detection of bladder cancer when it is at its early and consequently most easily treatable stages of its development.Current tests attempt to detect cancer cells in a person's urine. However, this method can be faulty since early cancers may not shed many cells into the urine, and even if they do, some may appear normal. Although this method is can detect presence of cancer cells in the urine of individuals with advanced cancers, it is not sensitive in detecting early forms of the bladder cancer. It is in the early stages that cancers can be most easily and effectively treated.The report demonstrates that five very specific proteins, called nuclear matrix proteins (NMPs) are shed into the urine and blood at very early stages of bladder cancer. This means that when the proteins are detected in the urine, they are likely to be derived from bladder cancer than any other lesion in the bladder. The discovery will enable the development of urine and blood tests for diagnosing new and recurrent bladder cancers. It is thought that such tests would work using standard technology available to scientists, namely by using antibodies to the proteins. It is predicted that within two years tests can be developed which like home-based pregnancy tests will make it possible for patients to check their urine for detecting an early bladder cancer. Patients with established bladder cancers treated for the disease can use such a kit to detect recurrent lesions.