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Breast Asymmetry Linked to Cancer
A study published last month reported that a womans chances of getting breast cancer can increase by up to 50 per cent if she has differently sized breasts.
Breast Asymmetry Linked to Cancer: Uneven odds
The research, carried out at the University of Liverpool, compared the breast assymmetry of women who were free of breast disease at the time of a mammogram, but who subsequently developed breast cancer, with the breast asymmetry of health controls.
The study group consisted of 252 asymptomatic women who had normal mammography, but went on to develop breast cancer. The control group were 252 age-matched healthy controls whose mammograms were also normal and who remained free of cancer during the study period. Breast volume was calculated from the mammograms for each group, and the relationships between asymmetry, established risk factors and the presence or absence of breast cancer were explored.
The group who went on to develop breast cancer had higher breast asymmetry than controls.
Breast Asymmetry Linked to Cancer: The balance of nature
Some degree of asymmetry is perfectly normal. Whether its the size of your ears to the length of your toes, there will always be some variation. Perfect symmetry in our bodies is disturbed by a number of factors, including the secretion of hormones. And deviation from perfect symmetry is a good measure of the developmental precision of a person. With the rapid development of breasts in puberty, the level of symmetry in the breasts is a good indicator of that persons hormonal glitches.
Symmetrical breast development may well be an indicator of an individuals ability to tolerate disruptive hormonal variation whilst maintaining developmental stability explain the researchers.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in Western society, with incidence rates continuing their upward trend, increasing by 70 per cent since 1971, and by 15 per cent in 10 years to 2000 in England. It is the most common cause of cancer death in women. There are large between-individual differences in size and asymmetry of breasts and this could be indicative of differences in developmental stability, and possibly disease predisposition.
Breast Asymmetry Linked to Cancer: Significant differences
The study looked at women who had self-referred for a mammogram at Liverpool Breast Screening Unit between 1979 and 1986. The women in the study were all asymptomatic at this time.
Breast volume (measured in millilitres) was calculated from the mammograms of all the women.
The results showed that the odds of contracting breast cancer increased by 50 per cent for a 100 ml increase in asymmetry. Whilst these findings sound shocking, it is worth remembering that the average breast size of the study was 500 ml, so a 100 ml difference is significant.
However, the study does provide the first direct evidence that breast asymmetry is linked to breast cancer. The report conculdes: In this study, we found that breast asymmetry was greater in the healthy women who subsequently developed breast cancer than those who remained disease free. Asymmetrical breasts could prove to be reliable indicators of future breast disease in women and this factor should be considered in a womans risk profile.
Sources:
Breast asymmetry and predisposition to breast cancer
Breast Cancer Research 2006
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