Home   |  About Us  |  Contact Us  |  Health Questions  |  Links  |  Don't see what you are looking for


 Breast Cancer
 
Estrogen Exposure and Risk  

What is the connection between estrogen and breast cancer?

Estrogen is a female hormone which is most active in the breasts and uterus. Consequently, the tissues in the breast and uterus are very sensitive to the presence of estrogen. Estrogen’s job is to prepare a woman’s body for pregnancy by promoting cell proliferation in the lobules and ducts of the breast (a precursor to milk production) and in the uterine lining (the endometrium). During a woman’s period, estrogen levels rise following ovulation. But if no fertilized egg gets implanted in the uterus, estrogen levels fall and menstruation begins.

Estrogen by itself does not cause cancer — the hormone, estrogen, it is an essential part of a woman’s physiology. However, estrogen’s principal function is to speed the process of cell proliferation in certain regions of the breast and uterus. Therefore, estrogen can increase the chance of a mutation occurring and/or encourage the growth of cancerous cells once they appear.

The more estrogen a woman is exposed to during her lifetime, the greater the opportunity for the hormone to promote the growth of an estrogen-dependent tumor. Exposure includes estrogen that your own body produces normally, as well as estrogen you might take as a pill (i.e.: birth control pills or HRT). The following risk factors for breast cancer stem from prolonged estrogen exposure:

  • Starting menstruation at a young age (more years of the body producing estrogen)


  • Starting menopause at a late age (more years of the body producing estrogen)


  • Lengthy use of Hormone Replacement Therapy


  • Never having had a full-term pregnancy


  • Having a first full-term pregnancy after age 30 (more years of the body producing estrogen without the break from regular cycles)


  • Being overweight, which increases the production of estrogen outside the ovaries and adds to the overall level of estrogen in the body


  • Exposure to estrogens in the environment (such as estrogen fed to fatten up beef cattle, or the breakdown products of the pesticide DDT, which mimics the effects of estrogen in the body)


  • Consuming more than two alcoholic drinks per week, which can limit your liver's ability to regulate blood estrogen levels



  • Related Questions of Estrogen Exposure and Risk
    Does antibiotic use increase breast cancer risk?
    What is a risk factor?
    My mother had breast cancer. Does this mean I am at greater risk?
    I was diagnosed with breast cancer 7 years ago, but I am now in remission. Am I at a higher risk of getting the disease again in the future?
    Can benign cysts become cancerous?
    I have no family history of breast cancer. Why should I worry about getting breast cancer?
    Is there anything I can do to lower my risk of getting breast cancer?
    Does Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) increase my breast cancer risk?
    What is the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool?
    What women are at risk for breast cancer?
    What risk factors are most important in determining my likelihood of getting breast cancer?
    If I didn’t nurse my children, am I at greater risk of breast cancer?
    Does exposure to toxins and chemicals in the environment increase one’s risk of breast cancer ?
    Do breast implants increase your risk of breast cancer?
    Does radiation exposure increase your breast cancer risk?
    I have had fertility treatments. Does this increase my risk?
    If I take birth control pills, am I at greater risk of getting breast cancer?
    What are phytoestrogens? Do they cause breast cancer?
    What causes breast cancer?
    What are the risk factors that put a woman at a higher risk for breast cancer?
    What risk factors can you control ?
    What risk factors can you not control?
    I started menstruating at a very young age. Am I at greater risk of getting breast cancer?
    If I am overweight, am I at a greater risk of developing breast cancer?
    I've heard that being overweight before menopause helps lower your risk of breast cancer. Is this true?
    Is there a link between alcohol and breast cancer?
    Why does alcohol consumption increase the risk of breast cancer ?
    Can exercise reduce breast cancer risk?
    Does a woman's height influence her breast cancer risk?
    I have never had children. Am I at a greater risk for breast cancer?
    I started menstruating when I was very young. Does this put me at higher risk?
    Why does starting menstruation at an earlier age slightly increase your risk of breast cancer?
    I began menopause later than average. Does this put me at increased risk?
    Can I inherit breast cancer from my mother or other women in my family?
    I often experience breast pain. What is this pain? Does the breast pain mean that I am more likely to get breast cancer?
    I have very lumpy breasts. Does this mean I will develop breast cancer or am at high risk?
    I’ve been told that I have high breast density. What is high breast density? Does this increase my risk of breast cancer?
    Are women who have fibrocystic changes in their breasts at higher risk for breast cancer?
    Is there a link between smoking and breast cancer?
    Does stress increase your risk of breast cancer?
    Does abortion increase a woman's risk of breast cancer?

    Page 1 of 1
       | 1 |