THURSDAY AUGUST 7, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- To reduce breast cancer, women would better control their level of female sexual hormone from their early childhood through menopause.   Mammogram or MRI screening should not be the first line prevention measure because they do not prevent cancer in the first place.

When I read the news that Actress Christina Applegate, 36, is diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, I was not too surprised.   She is a very attractive woman!   Although there is no data to prove that attractive actresses are at higher risk of the disease, there is a possibility.  At least in my opinion, attractive women could have high levels of hormones that are carcinogenic because attractiveness is in part based on the level of female hormone and high levels make women look more feminine, thus more attractive.

Scientists know that estrogen fuels growth of breast cancer in many cases.   High levels of estrogen or longer exposure to endogenous estrogen are both risk factors for women.   Women who enter puberty early say before age 12 tend to have late menopause. Early puberty could mean that a woman can expose themselves to high estrogen for up to 15 extra years.

Early puberty is more common in the industrialized countries where lots of cheap animal based foods can fuel production of hormones and females tend to become mature earlier compared to those in developing countries.   Studies have linked high intake of animal-based foods to early puberty. That at least partially explains why incidence of breast cancer is much lower in poor countries than rich countries.   People in poor countries eat much less meat.

Children have no control over their puberty because basically they do not have control of their foods.   Now if females get their first period early, one very important preventive measure they can take to prevent breast cancer is to have a child early.   Having the first child birth is the only way to make the female breasts mature and more resistant to carcinogenesis.   Studies have already established this association.   I do not know if Applegate ever have had a child. From what I learn from wikipedia, she did not seem to have a child.  Having no child at age 36 could make her susceptible to breast cancer.

My point is, when it comes to reducing risk of breast cancer, it does not matter how often you undergo screening.    Screening is to help find the disease early so patients can get treated early.   But it can’t prevent the disease.   Still there are a few things that can be done to help reduce the risk. These include reducing exposure to estrogen, having first child early and eating more plant-based foods and less animal-based foods.