On the pulse

Cancerkin's News Update.....


Joy’s marathon fundraiser...

This week, Cancerkin would like to say a hug thank you to Joy Okoye who ran the Neolithic marathon earlier this year to raise funds for charity. Joy decided to run in honour of four different charities and chose Cancerkin to be a lucky recipient of her fundraising efforts. After months of training for the 26 mile run and lots of hard work canvassing and chasing sponsorship, Joy raised a grand total of £1,507 for Cancerkin – well done and thank you, Joy!


Patient forum at the Royal Free…

The Royal Free Hospital is inviting its staff and patients to attend a forum next week to discuss patient experience from both the staff and patient perspective. Workshops will take place on 14 September at 9.30am – 12 noon or 5 – 7.30pm, 15 September at 9.30am – 12 noon or 2.30 – 5pm and 20 September at 9.30am – 12 noon. The workshops will take place in the Sir William Wells Atrium, each lasting two hours, and refreshments will be provided. To reserve a space please contact Hayley White on 020 77940500 x35965 or email rfh.patientexperience@nhs.net.

October talk…

On Tuesday 25th October at 11am Katie Walker, Clinical Lead Dietician (Nutrition Support) at the Royal Free, will be speaking at our monthly patient support group for those with breast cancer. She will give a talk on healthy eating and take question from the audience on any dietary related queries. If you are interested in attending, please contact Una on u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk.


‘The Last of the Duchess’ sold out…

Just to remind you, tickets for the ‘The Last of the Duchess’ in October have now sold out. Please do not send anymore ticket request forms to the Cancerkin Office as we will be unable to process them.


Yoga classes at Cancerkin…

Please note, there will be no yoga class taking place on Friday 16th September 2011. Classes will resume the following Friday, 23rd September 2011.


In the News.....


Breast density and cancer risk explained...

An interesting article on breast density was recently posted on the Komen for the Cure website. Research had shown that breast density is linked to breast cancer risk but it is still unclear exactly how the two are linked. This article helpfully outlines what we know about breast density as well as highlighting what remains to be investigated.

As the article tells us, the breast is made up mostly of fat and breast tissue. Breast tissue itself is the network of lobules and ducts that produce and carry milk to the nipple when a woman is breastfeeding, all held in place by connective tissue. Breast density is a measure of the composition of the breast, taken by comparing the area of breast and connective tissue to the area of fat as seen on a mammogram. The greater the area of breast and connective tissue in comparison with fat, the higher the breast density. This is currently measured by visual assessment of the mammogram by a radiologist through a variety of methods. The issue here is that such assessments are subjective and the best way to measure breast density remains an active area of research.

We know that women with very high breast density are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Those with a high density are four or five times more likely to develop breast cancer that those of a low density. It is not yet known, however, why this is related to breast cancer. Many factors affecting the disease also affect breast density, which may help to explain how density increases breast cancer risk: We know that some breast cancers are due to genetic predisposition, and breast density also seems to runs in families. There are studies being conducted into specific genes that may be linked to density. We know that pregnancy decreases breast density as well as decreasing breast cancer risk. The more children a woman has, the less dense her breasts are and also the lower her risk of developing the disease. Age is also an influencing factor – hormone changes during menopause cause a decrease in density and younger premenopausal women generally have denser breasts. However, we also know that breast cancer risk increases with age. Both density and risk are also related to body weight. Women with a higher body weight in adolescence and adulthood tend to have a lower breast density. A higher weight before the menopause may help decrease breast cancer risk, but after menopause obesity or being overweigh increases risk. The influence of age and weight are both topics currently under study.

Dense breast tissue poses problems in terms of breast screening. Breast fat appears dark on a mammogram and denser breast and connective tissues look light grey or white. Tumours can also appear white, making mammograms more difficult to assess when breast tissue is dense. Digital mammography on a computer screen makes images easier to examine in more detail, making them better at finding tumours in women with dense breasts. MRI and Ultrasound are also being investigated as potential tools for screening women with high density breasts.

To read more on this topic, please click here.


Laura Smith
9th September 2011