October is here, which means it’s time to bring out he pink ribbons in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM)! This annual campaign was established in 1985 to raise awareness about breast cancer and encourage donations for research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and – hopefully – a cure. At NYBG, we’re doing our part by spreading the word about how bariatric surgery affects hormonal cancers, like breast cancer so be sure to read on!
The Beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month
NBCAM was created in 1985 as a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and AstraZeneca, a multi-national pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company. Their original goal was promoting mammograms as an effective way to detect breast cancer, but have since expanded their scope to help even more people by raising funds for research and treatment, as well as offering additional support like symptom guides and an inspirational, supportive community.
Since its inception, NBCAM has helped decrease and stabilize the incidence rates for breast cancer. By providing opportunities for screenings and helping more people know how to check for and get treated for breast cancer, mortality rates have steadily decreased and even dropped by 39% since 1989!
Although this campaign has shown great success, there is still work to be done. After all, breast cancer remains the 2nd most common cancer globally (behind lung cancer); approximately 1 in every 8 U. S. women (12.4%) will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, as will 1 in 1000 men.
So, here’s the big question for bariatric experts: how does this relate to obesity and weight-loss surgery?
Obesity and Cancer
Obesity is currently the 2nd leading cause for developing disease behind smoking, and it is currently on the rise all over the world. According to the National Cancer Institute, obesity has been linked to 13 different types of cancers, most notably affecting hormonal cancers. In fact, according to the CDC, 40% of cancers diagnosed in the United States are related to overweight and obesity (read more about these findings in our other blog)! It is therefore critical that scientists and the population at large learn more about obesity and its effects on the body.
We are still not completely sure as to why obesity affects cancer so strongly, but there are several possibilities:
- Obesity sparks a constant low-level inflammation which may damage DNA
- Fat tissue increases estrogen levels which have been linked to breast and ovarian cancers
- Obesity raises the insulin level of blood which may promote cancerous growths.
- Fat cells produce hormones that can either inhibit or boost c