A recent study finds women treated for Hodgkin's disease during their teens have greater chances of developing breast cancer later.
The study conducted by researchers led by Günther Schellong, is one of the longest observational studies on later effects of Hodgkin's disease, with an unusually long follow-up time (more than 30 years).
The researchers based their findings on 590 women, who came for diagnosis of secondary breast cancer between 1975 and 1998. According to the researchers, 19 percent of the women who received radio therapy sessions as a part of treatment for Hodgkin's disease were at higher risk of developing breast cancer by their mid-30s.
The study authors also recommend that girls below the age of nine taking radio therapy sessions should have minimal exposure of their breasts to the therapy, which may considerably reduce chances of breast cancer.
As a consequence to this study, an advanced screening test has been devised by German Consortium for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer to confirm breast cancer in high risk patients.
Also teen girls who often consume alcohol are at higher risks of developing breast cancer. A recent study finds that every alcohol beverage that a woman drinks from her first period to her first pregnancy, aggravates chances of breast cancer by 13 percent.
Also usage of vitamin B9 rich food items impacts the growth of breast cancer in women. Pregnant women are recommended daily dosage of folate to prevent neural tube birth defects in babies. The initial rounds of tests have been conducted on rats and the researchers confirm further interventions are required to prove similar effects on human bodies.
