Blog

Exercise may cut uterine cancer risk in heavy women

In overweight or obese women, physical activity, even at light or moderate intensities, lowers the risk of cancer of the lining of the uterus (endometrial cancer), according to findings from the American Cancer Society's prospective Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort study.

Dr. Alpa V. Patel and colleagues at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta identified 466 women who developed endometrial cancer between 1992 and 2003 among approximately 43,000 older "postmenopausal" women.

In the latest issue of the International Journal of Cancer, Patel and colleagues report that all measures of physical activity and "avoidance of sedentary behavior" were strongly associated with reduced risk of endometrial cancer in women who were overweight or obese.

Questionnaire responses showed that physically active women engaged primarily in low- to moderate-intensity activities, such as walking, biking, aerobics or dancing, equivalent to about 2 hours of moderately paced walking per week.

Patel's team calls for more research into the link between light-intensity activity and endometrial cancer risk reduction in order to "strengthen public health recommendations in this regard."

For more free information about uterine or endomoetrial cancer, please contact the attorneys at Berger & Lagnese.

Mammograms Remain Best Way to Spot Breast Cancer

Mammograms detect 80 percent to 90 percent of breast cancers in women without symptoms, and all women 40 and older should get a yearly mammogram, says the American Cancer Society (ACS) as it marks National Mammography Day on Friday, Oct. 17.

"Mammography remains the most effective screening test for the early detection of breast cancer available to women today," Dr. Otis W. Brawley, the ACS's chief medical officer, said in a society news release. "Women are strongly urged to schedule their mammograms yearly and to talk to their doctor regularly about their risk for breast cancer."

Early detection by mammography screening and improvements in treatment have contributed to a decline in the breast cancer death rate in the United States since 1990. However, recent evidence suggests that many women are getting mammograms at a later age, not scheduling them yearly, or aren't receiving appropriate and timely follow-up after positive breast cancer screening results.

Along with recommending yearly mammograms and clinical breast examinations for women over age 40, the ACS says that women ages 20 to 39 should undergo clinical breast examination at least once every three years. All women should be familiar with their breasts and immediately report any changes to their health care provider.

Women at high risk for breast cancer (greater than a 20 percent lifetime risk) should have an annual MRI and mammogram, and women at moderate risk (15 percent to 20 percent lifetime risk) should talk with their doctors about the benefits and limitations of adding MRI screening to their yearly mammogram, the ACS recommends.

For more free information about mammograms and breast cancer, or if you believe you may have had a delay in diagnosis of breast cancer, or misdiagnosis, please contact the attorneys at Berger & Lagnese in Pittsburgh.