Health & Medical Cancer & Oncology

Moles May Be Harbinger of Higher Breast Cancer Risk

Moles May Be Harbinger of Higher Breast Cancer Risk By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The number of moles a woman has on her skin may hint at her risk of developing breast cancer, new research suggests.

In two separate studies, American and French scientists found that the more moles a woman had, the greater her average risk of breast cancer. In one study, women with 15 or more moles on a single arm were 35 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than women with no moles.

While the connection between moles and breast cancer is not obvious, experts pointed to one plausible explanation: estrogen.

The hormone is known to feed the growth and spread of many breast tumors. And there is also some evidence it influences mole growth; moles tend to get larger and darken during pregnancy, for instance.

"They could be a marker of lifetime exposure to estrogen," said Barbara Fuhrman, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

But that's speculation for now. And there could be other underlying reasons for the association -- even some kind of genetic factor, said Fuhrman, who wrote an editorial published June 10 with the studies in the online journal PLOS Medicine.

Her advice to women with numerous moles on their skin: "Don't panic. This is very interesting biologically, but it probably doesn't tell us a lot about an individual woman's risk of breastcancer. It probably tells us more about the general etiology [causes] of breast cancer."

A cancer expert who was not involved in the research agreed. "It's an interesting study. I've never seen this association before," said Dr. Subhakar Mutyala, associate director of the Baylor Scott & White Cancer Institute in Temple, Texas.

However, Mutyala said, "a lot more research" is needed before the findings could be used in routine practice.

There's no proof, he stressed, that women with a lot of moles should start breast cancer screening earlier or have it more often.

"It's not clear how this would fit into current screening recommendations," Mutyala said.

In one of the studies, researchers led by Jiali Han, of the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis, looked at data on more than 74,000 female nurses in the United States.
SHARE
RELATED POSTS on "Health & Medical"
Reasons Why There Is So Much Skin Cancer Now Days
Reasons Why There Is So Much Skin Cancer Now Days
Breast Cancer Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Health Professional Information [NCI]-Special Population
Breast Cancer Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Health Professional Information [NCI]-Special Population
Mesothelioma – An Overview To A Deadly Cancer
Mesothelioma – An Overview To A Deadly Cancer
Is Massage A Natural Pain Relief?
Is Massage A Natural Pain Relief?
Could the HPV Test Replace the Pap Test?
Could the HPV Test Replace the Pap Test?
Diagnostic Tests - PET Scans
Diagnostic Tests - PET Scans
Elderly Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation for Rectal Cancer
Elderly Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation for Rectal Cancer
Routine Mammograms Found Not Helpful for Most Women Over 70
Routine Mammograms Found Not Helpful for Most Women Over 70
Meaty Diet Linked to Pancreatic Cancer
Meaty Diet Linked to Pancreatic Cancer
Advances in Transplantation Strategies for Multiple Myeloma
Advances in Transplantation Strategies for Multiple Myeloma
Bioavailability of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors
Bioavailability of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors
Tracking and Journaling the Cancer Journey
Tracking and Journaling the Cancer Journey
What You Need to Know About Benign Multicystic Mesothelioma
What You Need to Know About Benign Multicystic Mesothelioma
Essential Good Nutrition for Cancer Patients.
Essential Good Nutrition for Cancer Patients.
Stage 4 Lung Cancer - What Is It?
Stage 4 Lung Cancer - What Is It?
Wigs Help Patients Handle the Challenges of Treatment
Wigs Help Patients Handle the Challenges of Treatment
University Of Chicago Scientists Provide New Evidence For Cellular Cause Of Sids
University Of Chicago Scientists Provide New Evidence For Cellular Cause Of Sids
Oncotype DX as a Decision Tool in Early Breast Cancer
Oncotype DX as a Decision Tool in Early Breast Cancer
Practice of Medicine: Anxiety Up, Morale Down
Practice of Medicine: Anxiety Up, Morale Down
Surviving Breast Cancer - A Husband' s View
Surviving Breast Cancer - A Husband' s View
Breast Cancer Prevention Tips
Breast Cancer Prevention Tips
Journal Article: Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage 2 Colon Cancer
Journal Article: Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage 2 Colon Cancer
The D'Amico Classification System for Prostate Cancer
The D'Amico Classification System for Prostate Cancer
The Common Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer
The Common Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

Leave Your Reply

*