This is an important information for women and those who love them.
The benefits of Estrogen
Estrogen is a potent hormone that is produced by the ovaries. The hormone is critical for female development and reproduction. Estrogen is essential for the full maturation of women and it controls important aspects of fertility and reproduction- Estrogen is one of the most potent and important molecules for women.
So, Does it really cause cancer?
Estrogen is associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism, that is, blood clots in the veins. Perhaps most striking, high levels of endogenous estrogen (produced by the body) increase the risk of breast cancer in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. In women who started having menstrual periods early in life( the time when the ovaries really start producing estrogen) their risk of breast cancer is higher than in those who started later. The same is true for those who are late to enter menopause(when the ovaries stop producing estrogen). For every 1-year delay in the onset of menarche (when periods begin), there is a 5% lifelong risk reduction in breast cancer.1 Similarly, every 1-year delay in the onset of menopause is associated with a subsequent 3% increased risk of breast cancer.2 In addition, women who have at least one full-term pregnancy have a 25% lower risk of breast cancer women than who have never given birth.3,4
Estrogen, the carcinogen
In December 2002, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) first included steroidal estrogens as a carcinogen and it has remained on the list ever since. The NIEHS states “steroidal estrogens are known to be human carcinogens based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans.” Therefore, women produce a carcinogen for most of their lives. This declaration is obviously not the whole story—as with any carcinogen, the level and duration of exposure influences the substances’ ability to cause cancer. In other words, the higher the levels of estrogen and the longer the exposure, the higher the risk of cancer is for the woman. The other important factor is that not all estrogens are the same. Notice that the NIEHS uses the plural term, “steroidal estrogens” instead of estrogen. This is because there are many different active estrogens in a woman’s body, some are worse than the others . For example, 2-hydroxyestradiol is fairly benign while 4-hydroxyestrone is associated with tumor formation.5
It takes many different enzymes to process estrogen. Your specific assortment of enzymes determines whether you make more good estrogens than bad, or more bad than good. But what determines the sort of enzymes you have? Your genes do – specifically, your estrogen metabolism genes. Over the past several decades, researchers have been studying the genes responsible for how a woman processes estrogen. They have found that certain combinations of mutations on these genes may increase the risk of breast cancer by as much as 13 times.6
What is a woman to do?
In general, most women fare better if they limit estrogen exposure throughout life; however, this is not always practical. If you are concerned about your estrogen exposure or overall estrogen health, there is a test that can determine how you metabolize estrogen. The Estrogen Gene Test is a simple saliva swab test that measures variations (single nucleotide polymorphisms, or “SNPs”) in the genes that control estrogen metabolism. Test results provide your doctor with your genetic profile as well as specific protocols (targeted nutritional and lifestyle interventions) that can be utilized to improve your estrogen health.
References
1. Hunter DJ, Spiegelman D, Adami HO, et al. Non-dietary factors as risk factors for breast cancer, and as effect modifiers of the association of fat intake and risk of breast cancer. Cancer Causes Control. Jan 1997;8(1):49-56.
2. Breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy: collaborative reanalysis of data from 51 epidemiological studies of 52,705 women with breast cancer and 108,411 women without breast cancer. Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Lancet. Oct 11 1997;350(9084):1047-1059.
3. Layde PM, Webster LA, Baughman AL, Wingo PA, Rubin GL, Ory HW. The independent associations of parity, age at first full term pregnancy, and duration of breastfeeding with the risk of breast cancer. Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study Group. J Clin Epidemiol. 1989;42(10):963-973.
4. Ewertz M, Duffy SW, Adami HO, et al. Age at first birth, parity and risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis of 8 studies from the Nordic countries.Int J Cancer. Oct 15 1990;46(4):597-603.
5. Westerlind KCG, K.J.; Evans, G.L.; Turner, R.T. The catechol estrogen, 4-hydroxyestrone, has tissue-specific estrogen actions. J Endocrinol.Nov 2000;167(2):281-287.
6. Cerne JZP-P, M.; Novakovis, S.; Frkovic-Grazio, S.; Stegel, V.; Gersak, K.; Combined effect of CYP1B1, COMT, GSTP1, and MnSOD genotypes and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. J Gynecol Oncol. Jun 2011;22(2):110-119.
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