Hormone Factors and Risks for Breast Cancer

If we take a look at breast cancer, there are common roads that everything links back to. Those roads are an increase in estrogen or activation of the estrogen receptor in the mammary epithelial cell. This is important because there are triggers in our lives that have estrogen or stimulate estrogen production, ultimately leading to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. 

Factors 

Environmental factors like pollutants and stress are highly associated with breast cancer. For example, the pollutant xenoestrogen has estrogen-like activity. From here, when women age and move towards menopause, they produce more estrogen. When there is a relative increase in natural estrogen plus the pollutants sending the body false signals, we see a relative increase in estrogen and stimulation through the estrogen receptors in the body. A great way to decrease these pollutants and fake hormones is to switch to all-natural products. These fake hormones are being stored in products like:

• Aluminum deodorant 
• Body wash
• Shampoo 
• Laundry detergent 
• Air fresheners 
• And more 

The other factor mentioned above is stress. The stress that is being referred to in this instance is emotional stress. The type of stress we do not have as much control over (aka physical). The reason we take a look at stress is that stress leads to more cortisol being released throughout the body. More stress can lead to less melatonin production. Consider the fact that those with breast cancer have a decrease in melatonin. Over time, a decrease in melatonin results in an upregulation of estrogen receptors, leading to an increase in estrogen. Ways to help reduce stress include:

• Meditation 
• Exercise 
• Grounding 
• Deep breathing techniques 

DNA

As we have learned over the years, the DNA we are born with is not the DNA we die with. Yes, we are given a specific set of genes when we are born but our environmental factors have been proven to alter the expression of these genes. When we have a highly oxidized reactive molecule, it can adduct with DNA. This ultimately leads to DNA adduct formation that clips portions of our DNA out causing a mutation. Over time, with enough mutations, we can see patients develop cancer and their immune system is unable to fight it off as it no longer works properly. 

Diagnostics 

We have the ability to perform a DNA Estrogen test to look at the predispositions individuals are born with. Additionally, we can perform hormone tests through ZRT Laboratory. A sample estrogen report from DNA Life can be seen below: 

Body Composition

Previously, in this article, I mentioned cortisol and stress. You may be curious as to what body composition has to do with these two factors. Fat cells are essential stress-producing factories. They produce more cortisol than lean muscle cells and at a quicker rate. The more fat we have on the body, the more internal stress and damage we are causing. At our clinics, we use the InBody 770 device to analyze lean muscle mass, visceral fat (the fat around the organs- the fat that is responsible for many health conditions), intra and extracellular water and obtain your basal metabolic rate. The document below shows more in detail what the InBody 770 is capable of. 

Lifestyle changes

Lifestyle changes incorporated now could help reduce the risk of developing cancer later on. Some simple ways to reduce your risk include:

• Eating a lot of organic vegetables 
• Avoiding excess pollutants 
• Exercise
• Sleeping in a dark room for 8-10 hours a night 
• Reducing stress 

Making small changes is completely do-able! We do not expect anyone to change their habits overnight, but small steps make a large difference over time. Getting blackout curtains is a simple step to eliminate excess light. You can also set an alarm on your phone to signal bedtime and to begin your night of rest. -Kenna Vaughn, Senior Health Coach 

References: 

Zava. “551A: Breast Cancer and Estrogen Metabolism.” FunctionalMedicineUniversity. Alzheimer’s disease: The Aging Brain, 8 Feb. 2021. 

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Disclaimer

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the musculoskeletal system’s injuries or disorders. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.  Read More…

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, CTG*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

phone: 915-850-0900

Licensed in Texas & New Mexico