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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Breast cancer survivors are at greater risk of developing a second breast cancer than the general population. A new study reveals particular lifestyle choices that could reduce that risk.
Obesity, alcohol consumption and smoking significantly raise the risk of a second breast cancer for survivors. A body mass index of 30 or more increases the risk for a second cancer by 50 percent. Drinking a least one alcoholic beverage daily increases the risk by 90 percent, and smoking increases risk by 120 percent. The risks may be cause by the increased levels of circulating estrogen caused by obesity and alcohol use. The risks from smoking may be linked to carcinogens in tobacco smoke.
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Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle based their findings on a study of 365 women diagnosed with a first and second breast cancer, assessing body mass index, alcohol use and smoking status. They compared these women to 726 matched controls only diagnosed with one breast cancer. The analysis shows breast cancer survivors should stay at a normal weight, not smoke and drink in moderation to reduce their risk of a second cancer.
Breast cancer now has a greater than 90 percent five-year survival rate in the United States, resulting in a large and ever-growing number of survivors, lead author Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., an epidemiologist and associate member of the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center, was quoted as saying. Since these women are at two to six times greater risk of developing a second cancer compared to women in the general population, it is important to understand factors that may increase that risk.
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, September 8, 2009
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