Cancer News and Treatment
Tanning beds still draw fans despite skin cancer risk, new study finds
Are tanning beds still popular? Apparently so. A new study finds 18% of women and 6.5% of men in America say they use tanning beds, even though indoor tanning has been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota based their findings on surveys of 2,869 white people between age 18 and 64 who were asked about their recent indoor tanning habits. In addition, the study says, most didn’t know that using tanning beds could increase their chances of getting skin cancer. Check out this abstract of the study published Monday in the Archives of Dermatology.
Warnings about indoor tanning are hardly news. This American Cancer Society report explains why tanning beds are linked to higher rates of melanoma.
And teens are particularly at risk. “Young people tend to think they’re not vulnerable to skin cancer,” dermatologist Hanspaul Makkar says in this Hartford Courant story. “Most of the damage that leads to skin cancer happens before the age of 18.”
How much exposure is too much? College students posing as teens set out to assess how well tanning businesses complied with laws and federal guidelines regarding exposure to UV radiation. This Los Angeles Times story reports on the findings.
Flexible Fitness: Exercise may decrease breast cancer risk
According the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in American women, affecting more than 250,000 women a year.
Multiple studies have examined what steps individuals can take to lower the risk of both diagnosis and recurrence. One common theme in these studies is exercise.
Numerous studies have found a link between exercise and decreased cancer recurrence and mortality. The main conclusion of these studies is that moderate intensity exercise lowers the risk of new cancer development, progression of current tumors and recurrence once in remission.
In fact, some studies have shown a decrease in recurrence of up to 30 to 40 percent for those who exercise moderately for three to four hours per week. Both moderate- and high-intensity exercise have been correlated with decreased breast cancer death, though high-intensity exercise does not confer the same preventive benefits as moderate exercise. It was also found that women with hormone-responsive tumors especially benefited from regular exercise, as exercise tends to lower estrogen levels in the body.
Why does exercise lower breast cancer risks? The answer to this question is not fully known, but two current hypotheses look at the body’s estrogen and insulin levels. Research has shown that obesity increases the risk for developing breast cancer, especially in post-menopausal women. It is also known that obesity and weight gain increase the body’s estrogen levels after menopause.
Conversely, estrogen levels are lowered by physical activity and are further kept in check by reducing body fat, a byproduct of exercise. Therefore, one plausible answer to this question is that exercise and weight loss may have a protective effect by lowering a woman’s blood-estrogen level.
The second hypothesis centers around insulin levels, which are increased by obesity and weight gain. Some studies have suggested that an increase in circulating insulin may lead to decreased survival rates with breast cancer. Therefore, exercising moderately is an important step for women to take in order to reduce their cancer risk or decrease the risk of cancer recurrence.
This is also significant because weight and exercise are influencing factors that women can control, unlike other risk factors like the environment or genetics. Exercise guidelines include moderate exercise totaling three to four hours per week. The American Cancer Society recommends walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes daily, which would fulfill these guidelines.
Other forms of aerobic exercise are also acceptable, but moderate intensity appears to be an important factor. Housework and general occupational activity, on the other hand, have not been shown to confer protective benefits against cancer. It is suggested that these activities are not of sufficient intensity to confer protective benefits, unlike moderate recreational activities.
There can be some roadblocks to achieving these exercise goals –– chiefly the fatigue and de-conditioning that can result from cancer treatment. Lifestyle changes can also be difficult to make, and motivation level and depression can influence success.
If these are issues you are dealing with, find support from medical practitioners, friends or community groups to help you achieve your goals. Take your health into your own hands and strive for an active, healthy lifestyle while reducing your cancer risk.