Breast feeding and cancer outline

1. Breast Feeding and Cancer

1. Benefits of Breast Feeding

1. Babies get a stronger immune system
2. Reduces the risk for some chronic health conditions
3. Makes a stronger bond between baby and mom

1. Does it protect against cancer?

1. Yes, evidence shows that it does
2. Most women who breastfeed experience hormonal changes during lactation that delay their menstrual periods. This reduces a woman’s lifetime exposure to hormones like estrogen, which can promote breast cancer cell growth.
3. In addition, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, you shed breast tissue. “This shedding can help remove cells with potential DNA damage, thus helping to reduce your chances of developing breast cancer,” King says.
4. Breastfeeding also can help lower your ovarian cancer risk by preventing ovulation. And the less you ovulate, the less exposure to estrogen and abnormal cells that could become cancer.

1. Breastfeeding Complications

1. How it’s complicated

1. The structure of the breast tissue changes

1. The longer the women breastfeeds or the more children they breastfeed, the less chance of breast cancer

1. In a study by the Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer, researchers found that for every 12 months a woman breastfed, her risk of breast cancer decreased by 4.3%.

1.  Microscopic changes

1. Differentiation, inform about stem cells

1. Changes at the cellular level

1. Milk-delivery system protects against precancerous cells

1. Age is a negative effect

1. Breast cancer chances rise
2. How late is too late?

1. Babies late, increased risk
2. Hormonal changes over time

1. Genetic Risk Factors for breast cancer

1. Most inherited cases of breast cancer are associated with two abnormal genes: BRCA1 (BReast CAncer gene one) and BRCA2 (BReast CAncer gene two).

1. The function of the BRCA genes is to repair cell damage and keep breast, ovarian, and other cells growing normally. 
2. Abnormal BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes may account for up to 10% of all breast cancers, or 1 out of every 10 cases.

1.  Researchers are learning that other mutations in pieces of chromosomes -- called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) -- may be linked to higher breast cancer risk in women with an abnormal BRCA1 gene as well as women who didn't inherit an abnormal breast cancer gene.
2. More likely to have breast cancer if:

1. You have blood relatives (grandmothers, mother, sisters, aunts) on either your mother's or father's side of the family who had breast cancer diagnosed before age 50.
2. There is both breast and ovarian cancer on the same side of the family or in a single individual.
3. You have a relative(s) with triple-negative breast cancer.
4. There are other cancers in your family in addition to breast, such as prostate, melanoma, pancreatic, stomach, uterine, thyroid, colon, and/or sarcoma.
5. Women in your family have had cancer in both breasts.
6. You are of Ashkenazi Jewish (Eastern European) heritage.
7. You are African American and have been diagnosed with breast cancer at age 35 or younger.

1. Moderately decreases the risk of breast cancer associated with pregnancy

1. However, only reduces it by 20% in aggressive cancer

1. African American women do not see a benefit

1. They are more likely to face aggressive forms of breast cancer

1. African American Women

1. Culture

1. Breastfeed less often        
2. Lack support at work
3. Lack community support
4. Negative cultural attitudes
5. Hospitals don’t promote it

1. Different risks by race

1. Women from different racial and ethnic groups have different prevalence rates of some risk factors for breast cancer [10]. This may be a reason behind differences in breast cancer rates between groups [10]. 
2. Overall, African American women are diagnosed with breast cancer at a 10 percent lower rate than Caucasian women, yet African American women were 37 percent more likely to die from the disease, according to the latest data from American Cancer Society. 

1. Age at first period
2. Age at menopause 
3. Age at first childbirth 
4. Body weight 
5. Breastfeeding
6. Number of childbirths 
7. Menopausal hormone therapy (postmenopausal hormone use)

1. The African-American women were more likely to have poor-prognosis tumors than whites. Their tumors were more often estrogen receptor-negative (a marker associated with poor clinical outcome), larger, and at a more advanced stage. 
2. Tumors from African Americans were more likely to contain abnormal amounts of several cell-cycle regulatory proteins compared to tumors from white women. Cancers that lose control of these proteins tend to be more aggressive and harder to cure.

1. Other cultural aspects

1. Taboo
2. Breast exposure
3. Public acceptance

1. Work place accommodation

1. Can you still breastfeed if you get implants?

1. It depends on the type of implants, the placement of the implants, and the way the surgery was done. 

1. Nerves, milk ducts, and milk glands can be damaged during implant surgery. Injured nerves can decrease the feeling in your nipple area. This may reduce your let-down response. 
2. Damaged milk ducts can decrease the amount of milk made by your breasts. Implants can also pinch milk ducts, block the flow of breast milk, and make your breasts swell.
3. The type of incision made during surgery can affect breastfeeding.        

1. An incision made around or across your areola (dark circle around the nipple) can damage the nerves.

1. The area where your implants are placed may also affect your ability to breastfeed. 

1.  Implants placed under the chest muscle will not cause silicone to go into your breast milk. Incisions may be made through fatty tissue under your breast tissue to put the implants in place. This method is less likely to damage breast tissue.

1. Conclusion

1. Should you?

1. Yes, but the baby needs to be able to nurse too

1. Even if you don’t breastfeed, you should do these to reduce risk

1. Drink less
2. Exercise

...