Metabolic syndrome linked to risk of breast cancer recurrence
Postmenopausal women with breast cancer may have an increased
risk of cancer recurrence if they also have the metabolic
syndrome, say Italian researchers.
The metabolic syndrome is term that refers to a clustering of
conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high
cholesterol and blood fat levels, which are known to increase the
risk of heart disease. The syndrome is particularly common among
people who are overweight or obese.
Writing in the International Journal of Cancer, Dr Patrizia
Pasanisi, from the Instituto Nazionale Tumori in Milan, and
colleagues explain that several studies have indicated that
hormonal, metabolic and inflammatory factors may influence the
risk of breast cancer progression.
The researchers therefore studied whether the presence of the
metabolic syndrome influenced the risk of cancer recurrence among
110 postmenopausal breast cancer patients who were monitored for
more than 5 years.
After taking into account factors such as the cancer stage at
diagnosis, the researchers found that women who met the criteria
for the metabolic syndrome were three times more likely than the
other patients to experience breast cancer recurrence.
Furthermore, women with both the metabolic syndrome and higher-
than-average blood levels of the hormone testosterone were around
six times more likely to experience breast cancer recurrence than
other women.
Dr Pasanisi and team conclude: "The results suggest that
metabolic syndrome may be an important prognostic factor for
breast cancer."
18 July 2006
Int J Cancer 2006; 119: 236-238
March 21st, 2007 at 11:12 am
I would add - "and any other cancer".
Metabolic syndrome is an inflamamtory condition at cell level - and
inflamed cells are prone to cancer, their defences are gone.
This is why 50% of people with very high cortisone (and remember fat
people MAKE cortisone from their fat cells) get cancer somewhere.
I would be eating antioxidants and anti-inflammatory diet like my life
depended on it.
(which it does as I have an inflamamtory condition from cortisol tumours
and had breast cancer in 2000. Mine will not return; my inflamamtory
state is lessening gradually - but I work on it constantly.)
Namaste,
IRene