Lifestyle and Cancer Rates

Lifestyle choices may be spurring disparate US, global cancer rates.
The Chicago Tribune (9/22) reports, "Breast cancer rates in the US are nearly double those in Brazil and nearly triple those in China," according to data compiled by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). "Some of the disparity may be explained by a greater number of reported cancer diagnoses in the US, as AICR points out, but experts suggest that much of the blame for the higher incidence of breast cancer in the US can be pinpointed to lifestyle choices." For example, "studies indicate that being overweight, drinking alcohol, taking birth control pills, using hormone replacement therapy, and not having children or having your first child after age 35 can all increase your risk of developing breast cancer."
Early puberty's link to increased breast cancer risk examined. In a separate article, the Chicago Tribune (9/22, Elejalde-Ruiz) reports that there is more evidence which suggests the "earlier a girl gets her first period, the greater her risk of developing breast cancer later in life." So, "given reports that more girls are hitting puberty earlier, does that mean that more women might develop breast cancer, and at an earlier age? The answers, as with many medical questions, are yes, no, and maybe," because it is a "complicated connection to make. A host of other factors contribute to elevated breast cancer risk, including obesity, lifestyle, and genetics, that might also be tied to the age a girl gets her first period. Teasing apart the risk factors will take a long time."
Newer research appears to refute association between high soy intake, breast cancer risk. The Chicago Tribune (9/22, Markowitz) reports, "Soybeans and soy products...contain chemicals called isoflavones," and "institutions like the Pennsylvania State University's College of Agricultural Science and Susan G. Komen for the Cure caution that, because isoflavones are weak estrogens, and because high levels of estrogen have been linked with breast cancer cell growth, adding large amounts of soy and soy products to your diet may increase your risk of developing breast cancer." However, "newer findings suggest high-soy diets can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence and death." Specifically, a "2009 study involving 5,042 Chinese female breast-cancer survivors, reported in the Journal of American Medical Association, found that diets with high levels of soy reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence and death."
Low breast cancer awareness among men may result in delayed treatment. The Chicago Tribune (9/22) reports, "Men's minimal breast development and negligible exposure to female hormones greatly reduces the likelihood that their breast duct cells will undergo cancerous changes, but it does not completely eliminate the possibility that they can get breast cancer." In fact, "in 2010, approximately 1,970 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer." Indeed, "male breast cancer accounts for less than one percent of all breast cancer cases, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology," but "because breast cancer awareness in men is much lower than in women" a large percentage of "male breast cancer diagnoses aren't made until the cancer is more advanced." Based on information from the University of Michigan, the Mayo Clinic, and other well known organizations, the Chicago Tribune (9/22) also presents a set of myths and facts regarding the disease.