A new study reported in the International Journal of Cancer indicates that a set of metabolic factors, including high cholesterol, obesity, high blood sugar and high blood pressure, may play a role in predicting the reoccurrence of breast cancer in women. The link between this set of factors, coined “metabolic syndrome”, to the development of diabetes and heart disease is pretty well known. Reports have also linked several aspects of metabolic syndrome, such as low HDL-cholesterol, high blood glucose, high triglycerides, abdominal obesity, and hypertension to the risk of developing breast cancer. This new study now suggests a link to breast cancer prognosis – the likelihood that breast cancer will reoccur.
The Istituto Nazionale Tumori in Milan, Italy conducted a year-long dietary intervention study of 110 women who had previously undergone surgery for breast cancer. After 5.5 years, 32 women had a reoccurrence of breast cancer, including 8 of the 16 identified as exhibiting metabolic syndrome.
The study concluded that women with the syndrome were three times more likely to have a recurrence of breast cancer as women without the syndrome. Doctors involved in the study recommend that the evaluation of these metabolic factors be included in a breast cancer patient’s standard diagnostic workup. They also advised dietary intervention to control the syndrome to reduce a patient’s risk of cancer reoccurrence.
SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer, July 2006.
Whether you call it “metabolic syndrome” as a group or deal with it individually, each condition may contribute not only to Cancer but many other potentially severe conditions. You must be aggressive in your treatment of these conditions and the following are just a few things that must be started:
- You must decide that you are worth all the effort it takes to get your health back.
- Cut back calories and eat a low glycemic index diet. There are many books that can help with this issue.
- Exercise: need I say more.
- Manage your stress and laugh a lot.
- Giving 5 hugs out a day is very helpful too.
These are just a few but very valuable steps to getting yourself turned around. Drinking coffee and soda’s all day will slow your return to health. Just don’t do it!
God Bless,
Dr. Benzinger
