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Why does breast cancer occur?

Breast cancer is a common disease. One in 14 Australian women will develop breast cancer by the age of 75 years. Therefore many people have a family member who has had breast cancer. The major reasons why a person can have breast cancer in their family include:

inherited genetic factors

the family environment

just by chance

Most cells in the body are continually growing, dividing and being replaced. Breast cancer, like other cancers, is the result of changes (called mutations) to genes. There are genes in each cell of the body that control the growth of that cell. When one or more of these genes changes (mutates), the cell can grow out of control and a cancer may develop. These mutations may occur at any time during a woman's life.

Soy Supplements

The debate over soy usage has had some new evidence added. Many women add soy to their diet in an effort to prevent breast cancer. Others use soy products to combat menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings.

These menopausal symptoms can also be a side effect of breast cancer treatments, such as Tamoxifen, a commonly prescribed medication for women battling estrogen-dependent breast cancer. Health care professionals advise women with breast cancer or a high risk of breast cancer to avoid hormone replacement therapy to combat the discomfort. Many women begin using products containing soy to ease the symptoms and to help prevent a recurrence of the disease.

A recent study led by William G. Helferich, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, warns that is flavones in soy products may have the ability to encourage the growth of certain tumors -- and block the benefits of Tamoxifen.