Study finds breast cancer in men is increasing though the disease remains rare

The largest study to date of male breast cancer finds, contrary to previous reports, breast cancer rates in men are increasing though the disease remains rare. A new study published May 24, 2004 in the online edition of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, concludes there are significant differences in the presentation of breast cancer between the sexes though survival rates remain similar. The full study will be available via Wiley InterScience, and will appear in the July 1, 2004 print issue.

Male breast cancer is a rare malignancy, representing only 0.6 percent of all breast cancers and less than 1 percent of cancers in men. Because it is so rare and poorly studied, there is limited data regarding its epidemiology, treatment, and prognosis. Moreover, studies to date conflict on whether the disease presents the same in men as it does in women.

To fill in the gaps in clinical knowledge of male breast cancer, researchers analyzed data collected from 1973 to 1998 and included in the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database representing the largest study to date of male breast cancer.

Researchers led by Dr. Sharon H. Giordano of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center found that the incidence of breast cancer in men increased significantly, from 0.86 to 1.08 cases per 100,000 men over 25 years. Still, this increase was not as dramatic as the increase in female breast cancer over the same period. For both genders risk increased with age, and stage-for-stage there was no difference in survival.

The study also found men tend to be diagnosed at an older age (67 years) than women (62 years). Clinically, men are more likely to present with disease in axillary lymph nodes, at a more advanced stage of disease, and with estrogen and progesterone receptor positive tumors. The two most common types of breast cancer in men were invasive ductal or unclassified carcinomas (93.4 percent) and papillary carcinomas (2.6 percent).

Larger tumor size and axillary lymph node disease were independently associated with shortened survival. Tumor grade and receptor status were not.

The authors conclude: “this data suggests that the incidence of male breast cancer is climbing, men are diagnosed with later stage disease than women, and that hormone receptor status and tumor grade are not independent prognostic factors for men.”

http://www.interscience.wiley.com/cancer-newsroom

Dieting greatly reduces risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes

People who severely restrict their caloric intake drastically reduce their risk of developing diabetes or clogged arteries, the precursor to a heart attack or stroke. In fact, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, some risk factors were so low they were comparable to those of people decades younger.

The study, led by John O. Holloszy, M.D., professor of medicine, will appear in the April 27 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It will appear in the online edition of the journal the week of April 19. The first author is Luigi Fontana, M.D., Ph.D., research instructor in medicine at the School of Medicine and an investigator at the Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome.

“It’s very clear from these findings that calorie restriction has a powerful, protective effect against diseases associated with aging,” Holloszy says. “We don’t know how long each individual actually will end up living, but they certainly have a much longer life expectancy than average because they’re most likely not going to die from a heart attack, stroke or diabetes.”

Research on mice and rats has shown that stringent and consistent calorie restriction increases the animals’ maximum lifespan by about 30 percent and protects them against cancer. This study is the first to examine individuals who have been on calorie restriction diets for a long period of time.

The researchers recruited participants through a national organization called the Caloric Restriction Optimal Nutrition Society. By eating small amounts of nutrient-dense foods, members of this group try to consume between 10 and 25 percent fewer calories than the average American while still attempting to maintain proper nutrition. The 18 individuals who participated in the study had voluntarily been following this very low-calorie diet for three to 15 years. This group was compared with 18 age- and gender-matched individuals who ate a typical Western diet.

Holloszy’s team found the two groups not only differed in the number of calories consumed, but also in the composition of their diets. Individuals in the calorie restriction group ate between about 1,100 and 1,950 calories per day depending on height, weight and gender, and these calories consisted of about 26 percent protein, 28 percent fat and 46 percent complex carbohydrates. In contrast, the comparison group consumed between about 1,975 and 3,550 calories per day, with only 18 percent of their calories from protein, 32 percent from fat and 50 percent from carbohydrates, including refined, processed starches.

Atherosclerosis – clogged arteries that can lead to a heart attack or stroke – already is the leading cause of death in the Western world, and the problem is continuing to grow. So Holloszy’s team specifically focused on the risk factors for this condition. They measured multiple indications of early or impending atherosclerosis, including blood pressure and levels of several biological markers in the blood, including cholesterol and triglycerides. They also measured the levels of glucose and insulin in the blood to gauge diabetes risk, another major health concern in the American population.

People in the calorie restriction group had total and low-density lipoprotein – known as LDL or “bad” cholesterol – levels comparable to the lowest 10 percent of the population in their respective age groups. Their high-density lipoprotein – known as HDL or “good” cholesterol – levels were in the 85 to 90 percentile for middle-aged men. That finding was a surprise because HDL levels typically decrease when individuals follow low-fat diets to lose weight.

Triglyceride levels – which, when elevated, can lead to atherosclerosis – were even more impressive in the calorie restriction group: They were lower than more than 95 percent of Americans in their twenties, despite the fact that the study participants’ ages ranged from 35 to 82.

In contrast, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the comparison group were in the 50th percentile for average middle-aged Americans. Moreover, 12 of the individuals in the calorie restriction group provided medical records from before and during the diet. Their cholesterol and triglyceride scores also were close to the 50th percentile for middle-aged Americans before the diet, and levels fell the most dramatically during their first year of calorie restriction.

Blood pressure scores in the restricted group also were equivalent to those of much younger individuals. The average blood pressure in the normal diet group was about 130/80, which is standard for the typical American. In comparison, the calorie restriction group’s average was about 100/60, akin to the blood pressure of an average 10-year-old.
Fasting glucose and insulin – both markers of the risk of developing diabetes – also were significantly lower in the calorie restriction group, with insulin concentrations as much as 65 percent lower.

All other risk factors measured also were significantly better in the calorie restriction group. They included body mass index, body fat mass, C-reactive protein and the thickness of the carotid artery, the main blood vessel that runs from the heart to the brain.

“These effects are all pretty dramatic,” Fontana says. “For the first time, we’ve shown that calorie restriction is feasible and has a tremendous affect on the risk for atherosclerosis and diabetes.”

The team currently is conducting a controlled, prospective study comparing calorie restriction to the average American diet. They ultimately hope to follow these individuals for a longer period of time to assess the long-term effects of calorie restriction on biological markers of aging.

Study Looks at Risk Factors for Range-of-Motion Limitations In Young Males with Hemophilia

Men’s Health News

A paper in the April issue of Blood detailed research on the prevalence and risk factors joint range of motion (ROM) limitation among young males with hemophilia.

Researchers collected data from more than 4,000 males with hemophilia between the ages of 2 and 19 who received care at 136 hemophilia treatment centers. ROM measurements were obtained on hips, knees, shoulders, elbows and ankles.

These measurements, taken into account with several other factors, like age, race, hemophilia type, prophylaxis use and body mass index (BMI), allowed the researchers to see that in all disease severity groups, ROM limitation was greater for patients who were older, were non white and those with a greater BMI. For those with severe hemophilia, ROM limitation increased with the number of bleeds and the presence of inhibitors or recent orthopedic procedures.

Those with factor VIII deficiency had a greater degree of ROM limitation than those who were factor IX deficient. The study’s analysis focused on ROM limitation that was accompanied by asymmetric joint mobility. “We conclude that ROM limitations begin at an early age, especially for those with severe and moderate disease, and that BMI is an important, potentially modifiable risk factor,” say the authors.

The authors note that current health recommendations for people with hemophilia include regular exercise using low-impact activities to increase muscle tone and strengthen joints. “An additional component that may be considered is routine monitoring of BMI,” the paper says.

Male Impotence

by Kent Pinkerton

Male impotence, or erectile dysfunction, is the inability to maintain an erection for a long enough time to have sex. A man who suffers from impotence may be unable to have an erection altogether, be unable to maintain it for more than a short period, or may be able to have an erection sometimes and not at other times. Approximately 10 to 15 million American men suffer from some form of impotence. The good news is that it is easy to
understand and can be treated in all age groups.

To understand impotence, it helps to have a basic understanding of how an erection happens. The penis has a large amount of spongy tissue, through which blood vessels run, and some muscle. When a man is sexually stimulated through touch or mentally, nerve signals trigger a flow of blood from arteries into the spongy tissue in the penis. This tissue becomes engorged,
making the penis erect. When an erection subsides, muscles in the penis contract, effectively squeezing the blood of the spongy tissue through veins. If there is any interference with the nerve signals or blood flow that cause an erection, impotence may result.

In the majority of cases, male impotence has an underlying cause. Diseases like diabetes, alcoholism, and kidney disease may affect both nerve signals and blood flow. Surgery or injuries to the bladder, prostate, and male urethra may cause nerve damage. Cardiovascular disease or other diseases of the blood vessels may interfere with blood flow. Nerve signals may be
altered due to psychological reasons including anxiety and stress.

How does one deal with impotence? Going to a doctor is the first step, because this may help identify an underlying medical condition that should be treated. Exercise may reduce impotence in older men. Other lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and losing weight may also help.

About the Author
Impotence provides detailed information on Impotence, Male Impotence, Female Impotence, Psychological Impotence and more. Impotence is affliated with Chronic Insomnia.