Lobular Breast Cancer is the second most common type of breast cancer in women which accounts for 15% to 20% of 100,000 cases diagnosed every year.
You may be at risk for having this condition if you have a genetic predisposition to it, if you are taking HRT (Hormonal Replacement Therapy).
Recent studies show that if you have high alcohol consumption, it also increases the risk of developing lobular breast cancer, according to The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Generally speaking, if you have a high consumption of alcohol, it predisposes you to all types of cancer.
But recent studies showed that alcohol intake strongly increases the risk of the hormone (estrogen or progesterone) receptor-positive breast cancer, particularly lobular breast cancer. This was supported by a research study conducted by Christopher I. Li, MD, PhD. and his colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
In that 5 year study, 2,944 postmenopausal women from the 87,724 respondents developed lobular breast cancer. What was significant other than the expected demographic data (age and hormone status), family genetic history was their lifestyle, which was characterized by a high alcohol consumption.
Researchers found that those with high alcohol consumption of more than 14 drinks per week developed the risk for an increase in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer leading to an increase incidence of lobular breast cancer.
The study further added that association to a particular type of alcohol did not have any significant impact on the results.
Lobular cancer is the invasive type of cancer compared to ductal breast cancer, which is non-invasive. It accounts for more incidences – up to 70% of cases.
This study’s limitation was that alcohol intake of the respondents was monitored only during the 5th year study period, but had no reference to their past alcohol usage.
Nevertheless, this data is enough to assume that more years of high alcohol consumption will further increase the incidence of lobular breast cancer and may affect the early manifestation of the disease.
If you think you have had a past history of high alcohol consumption and are lucky to have no signs of lobular breast cancer, it will be the best time to have a lifestyle change and prevent yourself from developing the disease. Symptoms of Lobular breast cancer include:
- thickening of a part of the breast;
- fullness or swelling in any part of the breast; and
- any change in skin texture and appearance of the breast such as dimpling and unusual inward retraction of the nipples.
Treatment for lobular breast cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and selective hormone replacement therapy.
Great article and it is new the link between alcohol and breast cancer.