A latest research has been published in the British Medical Journal, also known as BMJ. In this study, Peter Gotzsche and Karsten Jorgensen from Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, analyzed the trends of breast cancer at least 7 years before and after the starting of government run breast cancer screening programs in several parts of Britain, Australia, Norway, Sweden and Canada.

The study revealed that once the screening programs started, more breast cancer cases were unavoidably identified. If a screening program is successful, it should be helpful in detecting breast cancer at early stages, and therefore it should lead to a decrease in the number of breast cancer cases found in older women. However, the study conducted by Gotzsche and Jorgensen revealed that the screening systems of breast cancer, which is usually tested on women between 50 to 69 years of age, reported a lot more cases than the number of cases that were previously identified. Overall, the study states that around one third of the breast cancer cases identified by the screening process did not need to be treated at all.

It is a fact that some of the cancers never cause any symptoms in the patient and grow too slowly that they never affect the patient’s health. As it is not possible to differentiate between a deadly cancer and a slow-going one, any cancer that is identified has to be treated. But, breast cancer treatment can also have some side effects harmful for the patient and it can also lead to psychological downturn for women.

For several years, women have been urged to undergo a breast cancer screening process without knowing the risks involved. As a consequence, they have to undertake an unnecessary cancer treatment for a problem that could never have affected their health. Similar is the case with prostate cancer. There have been long debates about the screening of prostate cancer because it has been realized that screening over-diagnoses the patients. According to a study conducted in Netherlands, at least 2 out of 5 prostate cancers were developing too slow that they could never be harmful for the person.

The national health system of Britain recently drained its pamphlet that invited women to have a breast cancer screening because the critics complained that the pamphlet did not told about the over-treatment of cancer patients. However Laura Bell of Cancer Research UK said that women should still be invited to go for screening but they also need to be informed about the pros and cons of breast cancer screening.

Weight loss surgeries are intended to cut excess amount of weight from our body. But do you know that these surgeries may also reduce the risk of cancer in women. This surprising finding was released on Tuesday by a group of Swedish researchers who discovered that weight loss surgery may also help obese women to lower the risks of developing cancer.

The 10-year study published on Lancet Oncology reported that women who had undergone weight loss surgery are 42 percent less likely to come into contact with cancer. The study also revealed that men on the other hand did not benefit much from the surgery mainly because only a small number of men had undergone these surgeries and most of the cancers are result of female hormones like estrogen.

People have long known that obesity can increase the risk of cancer. A recent study released in the Journal of American Medical Association reported that people who were obese at young age have higher probability to develop pancreatic cancer. This group of people has twice the risk of getting aggressive pancreatic cancer that may lead to death.

In the study headed by Lars Sjostrom of Sahlgrenska University, Gothenburg, researchers compare 2010 obese patients who had undergone weight loss surgery with 2037 obese patients who tried standard diet and other exercise for weight loss treatment. The results were truly in favor of the weight loss surgery group as people in this category lost almost 19.9 kg or 43 pounds of weight over the study period of 10 years while the other group of people following diet and exercise gained 1.3 kg.

Weight loss surgeries were also reported to cut the risks of cancer by 1/3 with women enjoying the maximum benefit. The results showed that among the surveyed women, 79 had first time cancers in the weight loss surgery category compared to 130 among those who employed exercise and diet to reduce their weight.

When asked about the benefits for men, Dr. Andrew Renehan of University of Manchester, UK, said that only fewer men participated in the study and hence the result. He also said that women were the one who were more likely to get affected by cancer, mainly the post-menopausal breast and endometrial cancers. Renehan added that the effects of weight loss surgery would take longer time to show up in men who are prone mostly to colon and kidney cancers that take longer time to become evident.

Adding to the points of Renehan, Dr. Leena Khaitan also confirmed the fact that 80% of patients who undergo weight loss surgery are women and thus makes the difference in the benefits enjoyed by women with the surgery. She also praised the efforts of the researchers and added that study like this may be important to show people that weight loss surgery may be a way to prevent deadly diseases like cancer.

British researchers have come over radical stuff in remedying breast and ovarian cancer. A significant tumor-busting gene is the crux of their research. BRCA1 is the sought after gene and its detailed analysis brings nothing short of a revelation. In UK alone, the breakthrough research could save up to 0.15 million women lives. Defunct BRCA1 has been the overlying cause of forceful ovarian and breast cancers.

Mutation of BRCA1 gene, largely hereditary, puts the body in a quandary, where it can hardly replenish fragmented DNA. This results in malignant cells. Yet, the function of BRCA1 and how a defunct BRCA1 increases the risk of cancer is largely unexplained until recently. According to scientists at Medical Research Council, involvement of a protein named Ct1P cannot be overruled. A defunct BRCA1 will not be able to interact correctly with Ct1P thus rendering it dysfunctional in replenishing damaged DNA.

According to champion author Dr Kevin Hiom, the revelation is nothing short of a smart breakthrough. He seems to be exceptionally pleased with the aftermath of the research suggesting that the precise mechanism behind DNA repair will uncover many more mysteries. He said that if researchers can understand how DNA repair works, it will give them a better chance to find the exact treatment and prevention steps to fight against ovarian and breast cancer.

The BRCA1 ‘cancer susceptibility gene’ is present in 1 out of every 800 women thus enhancing the chance of breast carcinoma by 85 percent. Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge has become the cynosure of all eyes with this breakthrough igniting hopes of cancer remedy. Women are certainly merrier with what they are hearing.

A recent study has indicated that breast tissue density – a major risk of breast cancer, runs in the family thus is hereditary. This particular study helps one understand the importance of breast density in women which was until recently confirmed to be heritable in women, thus adding to the importance of preventing breast cancer in early life of women.

Dr. Boyd was the first scientist to discover that middle aged women having dense breasts are more susceptible to acquire breast cancer. Breasts are formed by fibroglandular tissues and fat, excessive amount of fibroglandular tissues lead to dense breasts thus leading to breast cancer. His new research, published in Lancet Oncology report, is the first study that measures and reports the breast density in young women. It reported that many factors affect the density of breasts in young women such as their height, weight and the breast density of their mothers.

The scientists used Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) technology instead of mammograms as young women are more susceptible to radiations from mammogram. The MRI technology measures the amount of water in the breasts which in turn also measures the density of fibroglandular tissues in women.

This study established that the breast density in young women is considerably higher as compared to their mothers, and this decreased as the age progressed .The study also found out that the breast density was considerably lower in shorter women. Thus indicating an inverse relation between height and breast density in women. However the study was yet to confirm and understand how the density of breasts in young women changes with their age.

The probability of occurrence of breast cancer in young women is next to zero as this disease mainly occurs in middle aged to older women that is around the age of 45-50years. However assessing the risks of breast cancer at a younger age is recommended as this would help the women understand the risk of the disease. Breast density is the key indicator of breast cancer thus women with high density of breasts should be screened more frequently and should be under close watch of their doctors to prevent any occurrence of breast cancer when their age increase.

In the recently concluded panel discussion at Ontario Canada the researchers have said to have found pivotal scientific evidence that links smoking and secondary smoking with breast cancer. Reporting from Toronto regarding their results, an international board of researchers have said that they have “credible proof” regarding the risk of smoking and that of second-hand smoking which can lead to breast cancer.

“Till lately, confirmation regarding the linkage between breast cancer and smoking, although capacious, was still unconvincing. However the board’s vigilant investigation regarding all the accessible data, in particular the current evidence, led the panel to come to a conclusion that there was enough influential confirmation of threat,” said Mr. Neil

Mr. Neil, the panel chairman estimated that 80 to 90% of women have came into contact with tobacco during their adolescence and their adulthood. Such women are facing an amplified danger of being diagnosed of breast cancer due to such exposures.

An announcement was made over the board’s results and it stated that there were numerous studies and experiments over the past few years regarding the connection between cigarette smoking and the risk of breast cancer in females. The panel analyzed all the available facts, which included significant latest evidences, and thus it inferred that there was significant amount of risk that even non-smokers face which is due to flaccid contact with the smoke of cigarettes.

The panel further added that the association between active smoking is with both pre as well as post menopausal cancer and that it is consistent with causalities, although there isn’t yet sufficient proof to infer regarding the character of this association between the introduction with second hand smoking  to  breast cancer in grown-up, post-menopausal females.

Anthony Miller, who is part of the panel, added that it was essential to pass on this message to adolescent woman, as the offered confirmation confirms that both active smoking as well as the exposure to second-hand smoke increase risk of breast cancer.