Surviving-Cancers.com

In a study led by Dr Amanda Cross of the National Cancer Institute, it was found that saturated fat intake is positively associated with the development of carcinoid tumors in the small intestines.

Dr. Cross’ research interests have been in meat and meat-mutagens as risk factors for cancers of the colorectum, prostate and pancreas.

Most cancer studies of the digestive tract have been done on the large intestine as that is where most of the cancers occur.  Relatively few cancers occur in the small intestine, but the incidence is increasing.

While consumption of red meat or processed meat has been linked to colon cancer, there was no significant statistical link between red meat and cancer of the small intestine.

However, those with a high saturated fat intake had over three times the risk of developing carcinoid tumors than those with a low saturated fat intake.

The results were found from an 8 year study which asked about meat and fat consumption in a sample of half a million men and women.

Findings of an 11 year study suggest that a sedentary lifestyle can be a risk factor for breast cancer.

Vigorous activities including running, competitive tennis, bicycling, and even fast dancing can reduce a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer by about 30%.

Dr. Michael Leitzmann, while at the National Cancer Institute, led the study of over 30,000 post menopausal women, looking at the mechanisms by which energy imbalance affects cancer risk.

Questionnaires were used to keep track of the women’s activities and all women were healthy at the start of the study.

Dr. Leitzmann, now at Germany’s University Hospital in Regensburg, suggested that, as other studies have shown, vigorous exercise reduces estrogen levels and protects the body’s immune system.

According to the results of the study, light exercise, such as light housework, walking and hiking offered no protection against the disease.  The exercise had to be vigorous.

The reduced risk of cancer was 13% for women who exercised, without regard to body weight.  When considering only women who were lean or average weight, they were 30% less likely to develop the disease.