Researchers Assess Factors Behind Cancer Risk

Although cancer remains one of the deadliest diseases facing the human population, the scientific community?s understanding of the disease has progressed significantly in recent decades. Thanks to a wide array of new treatment methods and diagnostic techniques, the prognosis for many cancer patients is much better today than it was even ten years ago.

Not only have scientists been able to create advanced and highly effective cancer treatments, but they have also been able to develop sophisticated risk models for the disease. Because risk studies alert us to possible lifestyle changes that may be able to reduce the likelihood that we will develop certain types of cancer, they help advance public health.

This week, we will take a look at a number of cancer risk studies that have recently been released. Each of the studies addresses a particular risk factor or lifestyle variable that serves to either increase or decrease an individual?s likelihood of developing cancer.

Personality Traits Not Significant in Determining Breast Cancer Risk, Study Shows

Conventional wisdom has long held that people with certain personality characteristics were more prone to developing certain diseases, including cancer. A few early studies conducted in the 1990s seemed to suggest that this old wives? tale actually held some scientific truth.

Recently, the Netherlands Cancer Institute scientists who conducted a hallmark study that found several statistical correlations between emotions and breast cancer risk undertook a much larger scale study to retest the results of their previous work. In the follow-up study, a sample of 9700 female breast cancer patients filled out a highly detailed questionnaire that assessed various psychological and emotional qualities.

After analyzing their results, the scientists retracted their previous hypothesis. The lack of any consistent statistical correlations in the new study soundly disproved the idea that emotional qualities have any relationship, causal or otherwise, to cancer.

Cholesterol Drug May Decrease Cancer Risk

The cholesterol drugs known as statins have been at the center of a heated controversy over the last several months. Based on the results of several recent studies, the ability of statins to reduce cholesterol effectively has come into question ? as has the overall safety of the drugs as an anti-cholesterol treatment.

However, even as statins? future as a cholesterol medication is in question, researchers at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System have found that this class of drugs may have another application ? as an anti-cancer agent. According to a recent study, it was found that patients who had taken statins had a lower risk of developing certain types of cancer than the general population. Lung cancer and colorectal cancer appeared to be most strongly affected by the drug.

In the laboratory, scientists have been able to confirm the ability of statins to inhibit tumor growth in a clinical environment. However, in population studies that deal with human patients, the results are not as clear-cut. The researchers say that more patient studies will be necessary in order to arrive at a definitive conclusion on statins? ability to impact cancer risk.

Study Sharpens Scientists? Understanding of Ovarian Cancer Risk

Because potentially deadly ovarian cancer has few detectable early symptoms, quick diagnosis of the disease is imperative. In addition, the lifestyle factors that may impact the development of ovarian cancer are vitally important to every woman.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health focused on the impact of a number of different lifestyle factors on ovarian cancer risk. Specifically, the scientists focused on measuring the risk impact of alcohol, tobacco use, and caffeine, as these three variables are often cited in cancer risk studies.

After analyzing data from 12,701 women, the researchers found no clear evidence that either alcohol consumption or tobacco use impacted ovarian cancer risk. However, the data did suggest that caffeine consumption slightly diminished the risk of ovarian cancer. The authors urged further study of this intriguing finding, but issued no definitive statement on the role that caffeine use should play in a woman?s ovarian cancer prevention strategy.

If you?re looking for ways to reduce your risk of developing cancer, talk to your doctor for a personalized health audit that will hone in on the lifestyle changes you should incorporate. Don?t forget to check back each week for more health science news!