Breast Cancer and Toxic Burden
For many women, October is glorious. Fall has arrived and the leaves are turning the city landscape into a marvelous masterpiece. The cool nights are perfect for sitting around a fire and spending time with friends or family. However, for other women, October is a reminder of past and present struggles or future fears as we shine a light to increase awareness of breast cancer.
According to breastcancer.org, “About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.” Studies have shown that toxins, both endogenous (those created in the body) and exogenous (those created outside of the body) have been linked to increased risk of breast cancer.
Therefore, as we enter Breast Cancer awareness month, we would like to focus on ways to lower one's risk for developing breast cancer. One such way we can evaluate one’s risk is with the Total Toxin Burden Test through Vibrant Health Lab. This urine test tests for mold and environmental toxins as well as heavy metals, all of which can increase one’s risk of breast cancer by several mechanisms.
Many of these chemicals and molds are known as endocrine disruptors, meaning that, even in presumably minuscule amounts, they interact with the hormone receptors, mimic the activity of hormones or disrupt the natural process of the gland causing it to make too much or too little of a hormone. As one can imagine, this will cause downstream manifestations of hormone disruption. One such manifestation is breast cancer.
In a study titled: Endocrine disrupting chemicals and breast cancer: a systematic review of epidemiological studies by Murphy Lam Yim Wan published in 2021, the authors found that “Regarding links between breast cancer and environmental factors in humans (outside of diet), the most compelling data come from the exposure of pesticides through farming, which is associated with increased breast cancer incidences owing to their estrogenic properties”.
In addition to herbicides and pesticides, Bisphenol A (used in the manufacturing of plastics), phthalates (used in plastics and personal care products) and a number of other chemicals showed an increased risk of breast cancer due to their endocrine disrupting properties.
What about mycotoxins or mold? Mycotoxins are highly toxic secondary metabolites of fungi. Humans are typically exposed to these molds through contaminated foods. The most prominent of the molds thought to be associated with breast cancer is Zearalenone (ZEA). ZEA has the ability to bind to the estrogen receptor. “As a result, ZEA would increase the estrogen burden, disrupt the endocrine systems and may possibly have a role in cancer development. One study showed that in vitro exposure to ZEA caused breast cancer cells to increase.
Finally, in a study titled Heavy Metal Exposure Increases Breast Cancer Risk Among Minority Women, the author concluded: “These preliminary findings suggest that ambient toxic heavy metals may affect different biological pathways to contribute to the incidence of a specific subtype of breast cancer”.
These toxins are all around us and are affecting us in ways we often don’t realize. The best protection against illness is to limit exposure and ensure adequate detoxification and elimination. Testing with the Total Toxin Burden Test can be a helpful tool to assess how well your are able to detox and what your total toxic load may be. Knowledge is power and potentially the first step toward wellness.
-Dr. Litty
Reference: Wan MLY, Co VA, El-Nezami H. Endocrine disrupting chemicals and breast cancer: a systematic review of epidemiological studies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022;62(24):6549-6576. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2021.1903382. Epub 2021 Apr 5. PMID: 33819127.
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