Scientists Identify ‘High-Priority’ Chemicals That May Cause Breast Cancer

An estimated 12.4% of women born in the US today will develop breast cancer at some point during their lives. Past research has indicated that exposure to some chemicals may increase the risk of breast cancer.
Monday, May 12, 2014 (Medical News Today)

Now, a new study has identified 17 “high-priority” chemicals women should avoid in order to reduce such risk and demonstrates how their presence can be detected.

Scientists from the Silent Spring Institute in Massachusetts say their findings, recently published in Environmental Health Perspectives – a journal from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – significantly advance breast cancer prevention efforts.

“The study provides a road map for breast cancer prevention by identifying high-priority chemicals that women are most commonly exposed to and demonstrates how to measure exposure,” explains study author Ruthann Rudel, research director of the Silent Spring Institute.

According to the research team, only 5-10% of breast cancers are a result of high-risk inherited genes. Furthermore, they note that about 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are the first in their family to develop the disease. Such figures, the researchers say, are evidence that breast cancer is caused by additional factors.

The researchers first identified 216 chemical that have been associated with mammary tumors in rodents. Then they identified 102 of these chemicals as likely exposure to women. Finally, they cross correlated the rodent studies with human breast cancer studies. All studies measured breakdown products (metabolites) of each chemical or the chemical itself in the blood, urine or other samples.

The result was a consolidation of chemicals into 17 high-priority groups that may cause breast cancer in women. The number one source of breast cancer carcinogens in the environment was gasoline and chemicals created by combustion of gasoline, like benzene and butadiene. Such chemicals are present in vehicle fuel, lawn equipment, tobacco smoke and burned or charred food.

Solvents including methylene chloride and other halogenated organic solvents – often found in industrial degreasers, specialty cleaners and spot removers were also high on the list.

Other mammary carcinogens include chemicals found in flame retardants, stain-resistant textiles, hormone replacement therapy and drinking water disinfection byproducts.

MY TAKE:
This is the first study I have reviewed that compared the carcinogenic risks of petroleum products with those of HRT (hormone replacement therapy). I think this is a wake up call for all women.

Limiting your exposure to gasoline and exhaust fumes is important. Use electric power tools in place of gas power equipment. Avoid stain-resistant rugs, fabrics, and furniture. Drink distilled water from glass containers.

Most of these carcinogens are more toxic after phase 1 liver detoxification. They tend to bog down in phase 2 liver detoxification. This is also the pathway used to detoxify the various forms of estrogen. One of the estrogen metabolites is 16-hydroxyestrogen. Although it can result from phase 1 detox of natural estrogen, it is the major metabolite from many HRT products. It is a potent carcinogen, involved in estrogen dominant breast cancer. I suspect that many of these carcinogenic chemicals disrupt normal estrogen detox in the liver.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Be proactive about your environment. Limit exposure to these chemicals as much as possible. If you feel you may be at risk, check your homocysteine blood levels. A high test result indicates impaired sulfur amino acid metabolism necessary for phase 2 liver detox. You can also test the urine for estrogen metabolites – dehydroxyestrogen 2, 4 and 16. The ratio of these metabolites is a good risk assessment for estrogen dominant cancers.

Wisdom Wednesday: The Liver

New patients frequently want to do a liver detox. They know little or nothing about the process, but feel that’s a good place to start. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While we all can benefit from periodic liver detoxification, several other issues must be addressed prior to attempting to “cleanse” the liver. In the QA (Quintessential Applications) protocol, the liver is step 19 of 32, not step one. Most of my previous Wednesday Wisdom blogs have addressed the previous 18 steps. So after resolving any hidden adrenal issues (see last Wednesday’s blog), we evaluate the liver.

Everything that gets into the blood stream and needs to be removed must go through phase 1 liver detoxification. The process alters the chemistry of substances so they can be removed through the bowel or kidneys. Caffeine is removed through phase 1 detox. In the office, I use a caffeine challenge as a test for the phase 1 pathway.

The Cytochrome P-450 pathway is also a part of phase 1. Many prescription drugs begin to be removed from the body through the P-450 pathway. As mentioned in previous blogs, Silymarin (Milk Thistle), St. John’s Wort, and Black Cohosh all affect this pathway. The use of any of these herbs may be contraindicated with certain prescription drugs. For example, Coumadin, a common blood thinner, is rapidly removed from the body when the cytochrome P-450 pathway is enhanced by taking St. John’s Wort. In a similar fashion, the proteases used to treat HIV/aids are also removed so fast, that they have no effect of the virus they are designed to treat.

Phase 2 liver detoxification is reserved for those chemicals that can not be made water soluble in phase 1. Unfortunately, most chemicals that require phase 2 liver detox become more toxic after being processed through phase 1. When people undertake a liver detox program and feel ill, it is usually the result of ramping up phase 1 to the extent that phase 2 detox can not keep up and the toxic intermediate by-products of phase 1 build up in the blood stream.

One hundred years ago, the only chemicals that required phase 2 liver detox were the hormones we made and alcohol. However, virtually every man-made chemical, all the artificial favors and additives in our foods, and most drugs require phase 2 liver detoxification. All the hormone additives that have found their way into our drinking water and the 800 plus hormone disruptors in our environment also need this extra step to be removed from the body.

The processing of estrogen through the liver demonstrates the phases of detoxification nicely. Once estrogen has been used by the body it enters the liver. During phase 1 detox, a hydroxyl group (OH) is added creating dehydroxyestrogen. There are three forms, 2-hydroxy, 4-hydroxy, and 16-hydroxy depending on where the OH group is added. All three forms are more toxic than estrogen, but the 16 form is highly carcinogenic. To be eliminated, dehydroxyestrogen must go through phase 2 liver detox to be made water soluble, it is then eliminated through the bowel and kidneys.

Poor phase 2 liver detox is a major factor in the cause of estrogen dominant breast cancer. Several studies have shown that the use of a cruciferous vegetable extract (supports phase 2 detox) makes the cancer drug Tamoxefin, 50 times more effective at preventing recurrence of breast cancer.

Virtually every patient that enters my office is suffering from impairment of phase 2 liver detoxification. New patients complete a Symptom Survey in my office consisting of 240 questions about various symptoms they may be experiencing. The survey is then computer analyzed, categorizing the symptoms by potential organ of origin. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the liver is the most common source of their symptoms.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Please do not attempt a liver detoxification program without consulting a qualified nutritionist. Do increase your cruciferous vegetable intake. Arugula, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are just a few of the vegetables high in sulfur which is vital for phase 2 liver detox. The use of herbs can be very effective in reducing liver inflammation, but must be used with strict nutritional supervision.

Wisdom Wednesday: Sniff Testing

The last step in evaluating inflammation in the body involves three challenges to the sense of smell. The three offenders used are aldehydes, bleach, and ammonia.

Aldehydes, like alcohol and perfume, are processed through both phase 1 and phase 2 liver detoxification. Impairment in either phase can result in poor ability to process aldehydes out of the body. If you get a headache whenever you get near the perfume counter at Macys’, you probably have impairment in the aldehydes pathway. The typical hangover from excessive drinking is also an example of poor liver detoxification.

If a patient reacts to smelling bleach, this generally indicates chronic inflammatory problems. Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus will cause a bleach response. Neurological problems can also stimulate this pathway.

A reaction to ammonia generally indicates problems with phase 2 liver detoxification. There are 10 pathways in phase 2 liver detoxification. Five of these require sulfur. Sulfur is stripped from sulfur bearing amino acids like methionine and cysteine. Folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 are vital to this process. Please review my early Wisdom Wednesday blogs on each of these B vitamins. The mineral molybdenum is also an important co-enzyme in this process.

Often new patients tell me they want to “do a liver detox”. If inflammation is not fully addressed prior to liver detoxification, the patient will experience lots of symptoms. Liver detoxification should not give you diarrhea, excessive gas, or flu-like symptoms. These negative responses are generally due to ramping up phase 1 liver detoxification to the extent that phase 2 can not keep up.

In general, toxins that require both phase 1 and 2 detoxification are much more toxic after they have passed through phase 1. For example spent estrogen is relatively safe and non-toxic. However, it becomes dehydroxyestrogen after phase 1, which can be carcinogenic. After phase 2, dehydroxyestrogen is water soluble and is harmlessly passed out of the body through the bowel.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Please don’t jump into any liver detoxification without first eliminating all common inflammatory pathways. If you react poorly to exposure to aldehydes, bleach, or ammonia, you have some significant inflammation at work in the body. Simple lab work consisting of a CBC (complete blood count) and homocysteine can confirm these inflammation pathways. Treatment is simply a matter of determining what nutrients are lacking and in what form must they be given.