Male Breast Cancer and Estrogens

Male breast cancer is difficult to study because of its relative rarity compared with breast cancer in women; it is 100-fold more frequent in women. Similar risk factors have been noted for men and women who develop breast cancer, including the effect of hormones manifested by obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, and exogenous hormone use. In men with Klinefelter syndrome — a condition characterized by the 46-XXY karyotype and an increase risk for breast cancer — gynecomastia and an altered ratio of estrogen to androgens (high) have been reported, highlighting the role of estrogen as a risk factor. There have also been reports suggesting low levels of androgens and excess ratio of estrogen to androgens as risk factors for male breast cancer.

Now, academic investigators for the Male Breast Cancer Pooling Project collected prediagnostic serum or plasma samples for 101 men with breast cancer and 217 matched controls (males without breast cancer).

Androgens (male hormones) or the ratio of estrogen to androgens was not found to enhance risk for developing the disease. However, men with the highest quartile of estrogen compared to the lowest had an odds ratio of 2.47.

All healthy males will have circulating estrogens. The problem is when we see an increase in “bad” estrogens from exogenous sources known as xenoestrogens.

Xenoestrogens are a category of EDC’s, Endocrine Disrupting Compounds that are industrially made chemical compounds which disrupt communication within the bodies’ endocrine/ hormone producing organs. These compounds have a negative estrogenic effect that differs chemically from naturally occurring hormones produced by living organisms.

Xenohormones are a group of man made laboratory synthesized chemicals that are hormonally active agents that differ from phytoestrogens (estrogenic substances from plants), and can be divided into pharmacological estrogens and agents that have an unintended detrimental estrogenic effect.

“Estrogen like” substances from a variety of sources may have a cumulative effect upon living organisms, xenohormones and xenoestrogens may be part of a larger picture of a process of estrogenisation of the environment we live in. The term estrogen dominance is used in some circles today which attribute these research findings to symptoms of estrogenisation displayed by women and men, child and adolescent.

Xenoestrogens and xenohormones have been introduced into the environment by industrial, agricultural and chemical companies in the last several decades. Their potential ecological and human health impact is under study and is of great concern to endocrinologists (specialist that study the hormone’s and endocrine glands), environmentalist, scientists and doctors who see the hormone disruption caused by the confusion these chemicals cause when introduced into the biology of all living creatures.

Synthetic estrogens and progestin’s, as are found in oral contraceptives and conventional synthetic hormone replacement therapies.

All American-grown, non-organic livestock, which are fed estrogenic drugs to fatten them. Also, the grains they are fed are laden with chemical sprays that accumulate in animal tissue and promote hormone disruption in the person consuming them.

Petro chemically-derived pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. People use these in their garden on their lawns and in the sprays you may use in your house or basement for pesky animals or mold growth.

The chemical Bisphenol A, is used in plastic bottles, containers and almost all food-can liners. Very few states have restricted the use of this chemical and only when the community has banded together and petitioned the municipalities and local government has this been removed or restricted. The Food and Drug Administration will soon decide what it considers a safe level of exposure to Bisphenol A also known as BPA, studies have shown  an increased incidence of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.

Solvents found in fingernail polish and polish remover, glue, cleaning supplies have been found to have the same cell proliferative properties and endocrine disruption.

Car exhaust is a real problem, if you live in a city or area where you are constantly exposed to this you should have a plan how to clear this from you system. Otherwise your doctor will be chasing symptoms with one diagnosis and drug to the next and next.

Emulsifiers found in soaps and cosmetics of the past and present are a real problem. Your skin being the largest organ is very capable of transferring chemical through the membrane at a highly efficient rate, in most case better than your gut. Find an organic source for this or one that you believe is the least harmful.

Almost all plastics, especially when plastics become hot or are heated.  Studies have also shown that recycled plastics contain residues from their previous contents like dangerous herbicides, pesticides, poisons and chemical solvents. Don’t buy food that is stored or packaged in plastics, your risking that the plastic is not harmful, but in a body that is biologically active and which these chemicals accumulate even very small doses over time are harmful. A solution would be to transfer anything bought in plastic to something more stable, like a glass container.

It is important for both men and women to detoxify xenoestrogens. How?

1. Improve liver detoxification by eating plenty of cruciferous vegetables. Support liver detox pathways with food-source B vitamins and a natural Folate (MTHF). Milk Thistle may be beneficial.

2. Take DIM – the best known chelator of bad estrogens.

3.  Consume adequate soluble fiber from fruits and vegetables. If extra soluble fibre is needed take psyllium, apple pectin, bran, or a fibre combination.

4.  Ensure you have optimal gut bacteria by consuming fermented foods such as kimchi, miso, raw yoghurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, fermented vegetables, and homemade pickles. For extra support take a probiotic capsule or powder with at least 10 billion live organism.