scholarly journals Epidemiology of Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer: Association or Causation?

Cancers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir Zakhari ◽  
Jan Hoek
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Breast Cancer Incidence ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Moderate Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Molecular Pathological Epidemiology ◽  
History Of ◽  
Giant Step ◽  
Meta Analyses

Epidemiological studies have been used to show associations between modifiable lifestyle habits and the incidence of breast cancer. Among such factors, a history of alcohol use has been reported in multiple studies and meta-analyses over the past decades. However, associative epidemiological studies that were interpreted as evidence that even moderate alcohol consumption increases breast cancer incidence have been controversial. In this review, we consider the literature on the relationship between moderate or heavy alcohol use, both in possible biological mechanisms and in variations in susceptibility due to genetic or epigenetic factors. We argue that there is a need to incorporate additional approaches to move beyond the associations that are reported in traditional epidemiological analyses and incorporate information on molecular pathologic signatures as a requirement to posit causal inferences. In particular, we point to the efforts of the transdisciplinary field of molecular pathological epidemiology (MPE) to evaluate possible causal relationships, if any, of alcohol consumption and breast cancer. A wider application of the principles of MPE to this field would constitute a giant step that could enhance our understanding of breast cancer and multiple modifiable risk factors, a step that would be particularly suited to the era of “personalized medicine”.

scholarly journals Consensus and Controversy in the Debate over the Biphasic Impact of Alcohol Consumption on the Cardiovascular System

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1076
Author(s):  
Cristian Stătescu ◽  
Alexandra Clement ◽  
Ionela-Lăcrămioara Șerban ◽  
Radu Sascău
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Cardiovascular System ◽  
Alcoholic Beverage ◽  
Circulatory System ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease ◽  
Moderate Drinking ◽  
Meta Analyses

In the past few decades, research has focused on the importance of addressing modifiable risk factors as a means of lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which represents the worldwide leading cause of death. For quite a long time, it has been considered that ethanol intake has a biphasic impact on the cardiovascular system, mainly depending on the drinking pattern, amount of consumption, and type of alcoholic beverage. Multiple case-control studies and meta-analyses reported the existence of a “U-type” or “J-shaped” relationship between alcohol and CVD, as well as mortality, indicating that low to moderate alcohol consumption decreases the number of adverse cardiovascular events and deaths compared to abstinence, while excessive alcohol use has unquestionably deleterious effects on the circulatory system. However, beginning in the early 2000s, the cardioprotective effects of low doses of alcohol were abnegated by the results of large epidemiological studies. Therefore, this narrative review aims to reiterate the association of alcohol use with cardiac arrhythmias, dilated cardiomyopathy, arterial hypertension, atherosclerotic vascular disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, highlighting literature disagreements over the risk and benefits of low to moderate drinking on the cardiovascular system.

Hormone replacement therapy in women with breast cancer. Do the risks outweigh the benefits?

1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 997-1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Roy ◽  
C A Sawka ◽  
K I Pritchard
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Postmenopausal Women ◽  
Hormone Replacement ◽  
Risks And Benefits ◽  
Previous Diagnosis ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
Meta Analyses

PURPOSE To review critically the literature regarding effects of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT)/combined estrogen and progesterone replacement therapy (HRT) on the risk of breast cancer and on other health risks and benefits in postmenopausal women, with a focus on risks and benefits in women with a previous diagnosis of breast cancer. METHOD A literature search was conducted using Medline, Cancerline, and the bibliographies of reports published as of March 1995. All five published meta-analyses that examined the risk of breast cancer in relation to ERT/HRT in otherwise healthy women were critically reviewed. All known reports of women with a history of breast cancer given ERT/HRT subsequent to diagnosis and additional reports regarding the benefits of ERT/HRT were also reviewed. RESULTS None of the five meta-analyses demonstrated a significantly increased risk of developing breast cancer in ever users compared with never users of ERT/HRT. Current use may be associated with a small increased risk. This increased risk should be balanced by the expected benefits of ERT/HRT on quality of life, bone metabolism, and cardiovascular function. Preliminary information does not suggest a major detrimental effect of ERT/HRT in women with a previous diagnosis of breast cancer, but these reports include few women with limited follow-up data. There are no randomized trials in women with a previous diagnosis of breast cancer. CONCLUSION In healthy postmenopausal women, the benefits associated with ERT/HRT outweigh the risks. In women with a previous diagnosis of breast cancer, the balance of risks and benefits should be explored in randomized controlled trials.

scholarly journals Persistent Organic Pollutants and Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of the Literature

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaoutar Ennour-Idrissi ◽  
Pierre Ayotte ◽  
Caroline Diorio
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Organic Pollutants ◽  
Persistent Organic Pollutants ◽  
Cancer Incidence ◽  
Breast Cancer Incidence ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Breast Adipose Tissue ◽  
Breast Adipose

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) bioaccumulate in the food chain and have been detected in human blood and adipose tissue. Experimental studies demonstrated that POPs can cause and promote growth of breast cancer. However, inconsistent results from epidemiological studies do not support a causal relationship between POPs and breast cancer in women. To identify individual POPs that are repeatedly found to be associated with both breast cancer incidence and progression, and to demystify the observed inconsistencies between epidemiological studies, we conducted a systematic review of 95 studies retrieved from three main electronic databases. While no clear pattern of associations between blood POPs and breast cancer incidence could be drawn, POPs measured in breast adipose tissue were more clearly associated with higher breast cancer incidence. POPs were more consistently associated with worse breast cancer prognosis whether measured in blood or breast adipose tissue. In contrast, POPs measured in adipose tissue other than breast were inversely associated with both breast cancer incidence and prognosis. Differences in biological tissues used for POPs measurement and methodological biases explain the discrepancies between studies results. Some individual compounds associated with both breast cancer incidence and progression, deserve further investigation.

scholarly journals The Association Between Phytosterol Intake and Breast Cancer Incidence in the Adventist Health Study-2 Cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 352-352
Author(s):  
Rawiwan Sirirat ◽  
Yessenia Tantamango-Bartley ◽  
Celine Heskey ◽  
Ella Haddad ◽  
Gary Fraser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Postmenopausal Women ◽  
Cancer Incidence ◽  
Breast Cancer Incidence ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Breast Cancer Cell Lines ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
Adventist Health Study

Abstract Objectives Breast cancer is the most diagnosed form of cancer among American women. Worldwide, it is second only to lung cancer. Phytosterols are phytochemicals found in plant foods that have potential benefits for breast cancer. Research on phytosterols and cancer associations to date has been limited to breast cancer cell lines and animal studies, and the results have been promising. Our objective is to examine the association between breast cancer incidence and phytosterol intake in the Adventist Health Study-2, a large cohort in North America. Methods The present study estimated the association between phytosterol intake and breast cancer incidence in 52,734 females who were part of the Adventist Health Study 2 (AHS-2) cohort. Breast cancer cases (n = 1050) were ascertained with tumor registries from 2008 to 2014. Phytosterols content in foods was quantified by using USDA 17 and other published sources. These values were used to estimate phytosterol intake from food intake assessed by a self-administered food frequency questionnaires (FFQ). Results Hazard ratios were below the null, but statistically non-significant for β-sitosterol [HR = 0.77, 95%CI (0.44–1.36)], campesterol [HR = 0.84, 95%CI (0.46–1.55)], stigmasterol [HR = 0.76 (0.46–1.26)], and total phytosterol [HR = 0.77, 95%CI (0.43–1.40)]. In premenopausal women, HRs ranged between 0.95–1.72; in postmenopausal women, HRs were below the null, ranging between 0.67–0.83. In both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, HRs were statistically non-significant. Conclusions The inverse association between phytosterol consumption and breast cancer incidence appears uncertain. The uncertainty possibly could be due to lack of power or measurement error. Additional epidemiological studies with a larger number of breast cancer cases, improved phytosterol intake estimates, or both are needed. Funding Sources Unilever Research &Development, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands.

scholarly journals Breast Density and Breast Cancer Incidence in the Lebanese Population: Results from a Retrospective Multicenter Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Salem ◽  
David Atallah ◽  
Joelle Safi ◽  
Georges Chahine ◽  
Antoine Haddad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Density ◽  
Breast Cancer Incidence ◽  
Menopausal Status ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Dense Breasts ◽  
Menopausal Women ◽  
Diagnostic Mammography ◽  
History Of ◽  
Retrospective Multicenter Study

Purpose. To study the distribution of breast mammogram density in Lebanese women and correlate it with breast cancer (BC) incidence.Methods. Data from 1,049 women who had screening or diagnostic mammography were retrospectively reviewed. Age, menopausal status, contraceptives or hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), parity, breastfeeding, history of BC, breast mammogram density, and final BI-RADS assessment were collected. Breast density was analyzed in each age category and compared according to factors that could influence breast density and BC incidence.Results. 120 (11.4%) patients had BC personal history with radiation and/or chemotherapy; 66 patients were postmenopausal under HRT. Mean age was52.58±11.90years. 76.4% of the patients (30–39 years) had dense breasts. Parity, age, and menopausal status were correlated to breast density whereas breastfeeding and personal/family history of BC and HRT were not. In multivariate analysis, it was shown that the risk of breast cancer significantly increases 3.3% with age (P=0.005), 2.5 times in case of menopause (P=0.004), and 1.4 times when breast density increases (P=0.014).Conclusion. Breast density distribution in Lebanon is similar to the western society. Similarly to other studies, it was shown that high breast density was statistically related to breast cancer, especially in older and menopausal women.

scholarly journals Alcohol consumption as a risk factor for tuberculosis: meta-analyses and burden of disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 1700216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameer Imtiaz ◽  
Kevin D. Shield ◽  
Michael Roerecke ◽  
Andriy V. Samokhvalov ◽  
Knut Lönnroth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Threshold Effect ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Tuberculosis Incidence ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Incident Cases ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

Meta-analyses of alcohol use, alcohol dosage and alcohol-related problems as risk factors for tuberculosis incidence were undertaken. The global alcohol-attributable tuberculosis burden of disease was also re-estimated.Systematic searches were conducted, reference lists were reviewed and expert consultations were held to identify studies. Cohort and case-control studies were included if there were no temporal violations of exposure and outcome. Risk relations (RRs) were pooled by using categorical and dose-response meta-analyses. The alcohol-attributable tuberculosis burden of disease was estimated by using alcohol-attributable fractions.36 of 1108 studies were included. RRs for alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were 1.35 (95% CI 1.09–1.68; I2: 83%) and 3.33 (95% CI 2.14–5.19; 87%), respectively. Concerning alcohol dosage, tuberculosis risk rose as ethanol intake increased, with evidence of a threshold effect. Alcohol consumption caused 22.02 incident cases (95% CI 19.70–40.77) and 2.35 deaths (95% CI 2.05–4.79) per 100 000 people from tuberculosis in 2014. Alcohol-attributable tuberculosis incidence increased between 2000 and 2014 in most high tuberculosis burden countries, whereas mortality decreased.Alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis in all meta-analyses. It was consequently a major contributor to the tuberculosis burden of disease.

scholarly journals Can breast cancer patients use soyafoods to help reduce risk of CHD?

2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 810-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Messina ◽  
Virginia Messina ◽  
David J. A. Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Soya Protein ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Chd Risk ◽  
Isoflavone Content ◽  
Meta Analyses

Over the past 20 years, the popularity of soyafoods has increased in part because of research suggesting that these foods convey health benefits independent of their nutrient content. For example, in 1999, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a health-claim for soyafoods and CHD based on the hypocholesterolaemic effects of soya protein. However, soyafoods have become controversial in recent years because of concerns that their uniquely rich phyto-oestrogen (isoflavone) content may cause untoward effects in some individuals. Most notable in this regard is the concern that soyafoods are contraindicated for breast cancer patients and women at high risk of developing this disease. Furthermore, the hypocholesterolaemic effects of soya protein have been challenged. However, the results of recently published meta-analyses indicate that soya protein directly lowers circulating LDL-cholesterol levels by approximately 4 %. There is also intriguing evidence that soyafoods reduce CHD risk independent of their effects on lipid levels. In regard to the breast cancer controversy, recently published clinical and epidemiological data do not support observations in rodents that soyabean isoflavones increase breast cancer risk. In postmenopausal women, isoflavone exposure does not adversely affect breast tissue density or breast cell proliferation. Furthermore, both US and Chinese prospective epidemiological studies show that post-diagnosis soya consumption is associated with an improved prognosis. Therefore, soyafoods should be considered by women as healthy foods to include in diets aimed at reducing the risk of CHD regardless of their breast cancer status.

scholarly journals Simulating the Impact of Risk-Based Screening and Treatment on Breast Cancer Outcomes with MISCAN-Fadia

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 54S-65S ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen J. van den Broek ◽  
Nicolien T. van Ravesteyn ◽  
Eveline A. Heijnsdijk ◽  
Harry J. de Koning
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Breast Cancer Incidence ◽  
Detection Threshold ◽  
Tumor Diameter ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

The MISCAN-Fadia microsimulation model uses continuous tumor growth to simulate the natural history of breast cancer and has been used extensively to estimate the impact of screening and adjuvant treatment on breast cancer incidence and mortality trends. The model simulates individual life histories from birth to death, with and without breast cancer, in the presence and in the absence of screening and treatment. Life histories are simulated according to discrete events such as birth, tumor inception, the tumor’s clinical diagnosis diameter in the absence of screening, and death from breast cancer or death from other causes. MISCAN-Fadia consists of 4 main components: demography, natural history of breast cancer, screening, and treatment. Screening impact on the natural history of breast cancer is assessed by simulating continuous tumor growth and the “fatal diameter” concept. This concept implies that tumors diagnosed at a size that is between the screen detection threshold and the fatal diameter are cured, while tumors diagnosed at a diameter larger than the fatal tumor diameter metastasize and lead to breast cancer death. MISCAN-Fadia has been extended by including a different natural history for molecular subtypes based on a tumor’s estrogen receptor (ER) status and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. In addition, personalized screening strategies that target women based on their risk such as breast density have been incorporated into the model. This personalized approach to screening will continue to develop in light of potential polygenic risk stratification possibilities and new screening modalities.

scholarly journals The Global Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Premature Mortality and Health in 2016

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3145
Author(s):  
Ivneet Sohi ◽  
Ari Franklin ◽  
Bethany Chrystoja ◽  
Ashley Wettlaufer ◽  
Jürgen Rehm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

This study aimed to estimate the impact of alcohol use on mortality and health among people 69 years of age and younger in 2016. A comparative risk assessment approach was utilized, with population-attributable fractions being estimated by combining alcohol use data from the Global Information System on Alcohol and Health with corresponding relative risk estimates from meta-analyses. The mortality and health data were obtained from the Global Health Observatory. Among people 69 years of age and younger in 2016, 2.0 million deaths and 117.2 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost were attributable to alcohol consumption, representing 7.1% and 5.5% of all deaths and DALYs lost in that year, respectively. The leading causes of the burden of alcohol-attributable deaths were cirrhosis of the liver (457,000 deaths), road injuries (338,000 deaths), and tuberculosis (190,000 deaths). The numbers of premature deaths per 100,000 people were highest in Eastern Europe (155.8 deaths per 100,000), Central Europe (52.3 deaths per 100,000 people), and Western sub-Saharan Africa (48.7 deaths per 100,000). A large portion of the burden of disease caused by alcohol among people 69 years of age and younger is preventable through the implementation of cost-effective alcohol policies such as increases in taxation.

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