Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Written by Dr.Claire Arcidiacono, ND For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected] Last week we started talking about lupus and its repercussions as an autoimmune disease. This week we will continue this fascinating topic. To begin our topic we will start with some risk …
Written by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]† Last week we talked about prediabetes. While not all people with diabetes type 2 first present with prediabetes, in my clinical experience many people do. Likewise while not everyone with …
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS~ GENES, GENETICS and HORMONES
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]
When the subject of breast cancer comes up, there’s so many terms that are often mentioned. Any of these can seem confusing, as they are abbreviated and have to do with genes and genetics. Let’s go over some of the most mentioned terms and break them down.†
GENES & GENETICS
Let’s begin with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. BRCA is a BReast CAncer gene that everyone has, but can have mutations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “All women have BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, but only some women have mutations in those genes. About 1 in every 500 women in the United States has a mutation in either her BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. If either your mother or your father has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, you have a 50% chance of having the same gene mutation. “If any change or mutation occurs on these genes, it can effect cell division and increase the risk for cancer.”†
Another common term that is talked a lot about when it comes to breast cancer is the HER2 protein. This protein can be positive (HER2-positive) or negative (HER2-negative). According to the information found on American Cancer Society website, HER2-positive is more likely to spread quickly but is more responsive to treatment than HER2-negative. The HER2-negative protein typically doesn’t respond to HER2 treatment and would need other types of medication that would be determined by an oncologist.†
HORMONES
Hormone receptors (HR) are also factors when looking at breast cancer. The Mayo Clinic offers insight into these receptors. The first to understand is ER-positive, which is an estrogen receptor cancer cell. Estrogen hormones cause these cells to grow. The next is PR-positive, which is the progesterone receptor cancer cell. Progesterone hormones cause these cells to grow. Endocrine therapy would often be recommended by an oncologist for ER/PR-positive cells.†
So, when it comes to discussing BRCA, HER2 and HR, is there testing that can see if one would be at risk? In an article from the National Cancer Institute entitled ‘Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes’, such topics are highlighted like who should consider genetic testing, how testing is done and what results may mean.†
ICYMI: BREAST CANCER AWARENESS & DETECTION, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 593>>LISTEN NOW!
TESTING
Let’s first look at the section of this article that refers to the benefits of this type of genetic testing. This tells us that whether there is positive or negative results, either can be beneficial. Testing can give peace of mind, help manage risk and help doctors with a treatment plan.†
Next, what research is being done to improve testing? We know that a lot of research goes into all aspects of breast cancer, including prevention, detection and treatment. This article shows how much of the genetic testing research is done on the BRCA gene, looking at the different mutations and markers that can increase cancer risk. There are also programs looking at how mutation markers effect risk, counseling and the different types of tests.†
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, having an understanding of these common terms can be useful when having those important conversations with your doctor, as well as to what questions you may want to ask.†
Speak to one of our Invite Health degreed professionals, if you have any questions, or if you would like to speak with Allie directly, you can email her, at [email protected].†
SOURCES
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/genetic-testing-fact-sheet#who-should-consider-genetic-testing-for-cancer-risk
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/young_women/bringyourbrave/hereditary_breast_cancer/brca_gene_mutations.htm#:~:text=Certain%20mutations%20in%20the%20BRCA,her%20BRCA1%20or%20BRCA2%20gene.
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/understanding-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis/breast-cancer-her2-status.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/in-depth/breast-cancer/art-20045654
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/genetic-testing-fact-sheet#who-should-consider-genetic-testing-for-cancer-risk
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS “PREVENTION” AND EARLY DETECTION Written by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected] Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to take time over the next few weeks to discuss this important topic. …
Dr.Kay talks about decreasing breast cancer risk, and supporting the breast tissue with diet and nutritional supplements.
iron
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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You’ve probably heard of iron deficient anemia, but are you as familiar with iron overload, also known as hemochromatosis? This is certainly a problematic condition that is actually genetic. It is the most common autosomal recessive disease in the world. It’s estimated that 1 out of every 300 people have hemochromatosis. I want to talk about this in some detail and what you can be doing if you happen to have iron overload.†
Hemochromatosis is an abnormal accumulation of iron that goes to other organs, including the brain and liver, and creates a toxicity. One of the biggest problems is that roughly 75% of people who have hemochromatosis are generally asymptomatic and they don’t even know that they have this issue.†
Some of the early symptoms that many people can experience are things like fatigue. Generally, when we think about fatigue, we think about iron deficient anemia, but the same thing can happen when we have iron overload. We can also look at some arthritic symptoms that occur with constant pain in the joints. In men, you may also see issues with sexual health and being impotent. Hemochromatosis is more common in men than it is in women. It affects men about two to three times more often as it does women. Women who have iron overload often become symptomatic later in life than men.†
We know that there are many different nutrients that have been shown to help regulate iron levels. Vitamin C is an iron binder, so if someone has hemochromatosis, they have to be careful with how much Vitamin C they’re actually supplementing with or taking in through their diet.†
Things like lactoferrin are really, really helpful when it comes to binding and removing excess iron. Where do we find lactoferrin in a very high amount? In colostrum. We carry colostrum, so if someone is known to have this problem with high iron stores, then it would be advantageous to include colostrum into your daily routine.†
There have also been studies looking at green tea, as well as grape seed extract, to help with the prevention of iron overload. One study at Georgia State University looked at these nutrients in relation to hereditary hemochromatosis. They found that when they looked at utilizing the polyphenols from green tea and grape seed extract, the bioactive components did a really great job in terms of being able to mitigate the impact of the intestinal absorption of iron.†
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses hemochromatosis and how this can impact the body. She also provides recommendations for nutrients that can help regulate the amount of iron stored in the body.†
Key Topics:
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