Making Headway against a Deadly Disease: Recent Breakthroughs in Breast Cancer Research

Despite decades of concentrated research efforts and public awareness campaigns, breast cancer remains a serious health challenge. It is estimated that as many as one in eight women will face a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Although significant strides have been made in developing more effective methods of breast cancer treatment and diagnosis, the mortality rate of the disease remains distressingly high; only lung cancer kills more women each year.

Still, each new research finding moves the entire field of breast cancer research forward incrementally. New studies build on the findings and hypothesis established in older studies, and gradually, it is hoped that this process will be able to identify a cure for the disease. Although this ultimate goal is unlikely to be achieved in the near future, a number of significant study results have been reported in recent months.

Moderate Alcohol Consumption Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Risk

Although the consumption of some types of alcohol, such as red wine, has been linked to a number of positive health benefits, the results of one recent study seemed to confirm a long-suspected link between moderate consumption of alcohol and a heightened risk of breast cancer. The study, which used rodents as its subjects, concluded that an alcohol intake equivalent of two to four drinks daily could increase breast cancer risk by up to 60%.

The mechanism by which alcohol consumption increases breast cancer risk was identified as angiogenesis. Simply put, the moderate, ongoing consumption of alcoholic beverages can actually encourage vein growth in the body. If early-stage cancer cells happen to be present, alcohol-related angiogenesis can significantly increase the growth rate and size of tumors. As a result, researchers and health advocates are beginning to urge women to limit their daily consumption of alcohol to 1-2 drinks, with even less consumption preferable.

Link between Abortion and Breast Cancer Disputed by New Findings

One of the most controversial claims in recent years has been the contention that electing to terminate a pregnancy significantly increases a woman?s chance of later developing breast cancer. This claim has been the centerpiece of a number of anti-abortion media campaigns in recent years, such as those mounted by the group known as the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer. Several states have passed legislation forcing abortion clinics to inform patients that the procedure could increase the risk of breast cancer.

However, the recently released results of a Harvard University study seem to undermine the purported link between abortion and breast cancer. The study, which used longitudinal data from over 100,000 female nurses, found no statistically significant link between elective abortion and risk of breast cancer. Non-induced, spontaneous miscarriages were also found to have no bearing on breast cancer risk. However, because of the contentious debate surrounding these issues, it is likely that this controversy will continue to rage despite these findings.

Drug Found to Prevent Breast Cancer in High-Risk Women

Another recent study found that the drug Tamoxifen seemed actually to prevent the occurrence of breast cancer in women who were determined to be at high risk of developing the disease as a result of both hereditary and environmental factors. In a study of 5,408 women, the group who was administered Tamoxifen instead of a placebo experienced a lesser rate of breast cancer diagnoses.

All of the women who participated were healthy at the beginning of the study, although they had all received hysterectomies prior to their participation. Although women in the normal-risk group were diagnosed with breast cancer at a similar rate whether they had been administered Tamoxifen or a placebo, those in the high-risk group showed definite signs of benefiting from the drug. However, women in this group also reported a number of troubling symptoms and side effects thought to be related to the drug.

Although additional research will be needed in order to determine the precise way that this finding will impact preventive treatment for women at higher risk for developing breast cancer, researchers are confident that this drug -- or others like it -- could be a helpful tool in reducing cancer rates in the future.

Watch this space for future updates on breast cancer research, as well as reporting and analysis of many other scientific findings and breakthroughs that could impact your health.