Bottom Line: Smoking is Unhealthy

In January, researchers found that women who smoked heavily before hitting menopause had a slightly greater chance of developing breast cancer.

The researchers looked at data for nearly 150,000 women over 30 years. The research was lauded for its large size, which made the results quite reliable.



Robert Pattinson smoking an electronic cigarette, which is not associated with any health risks. (c) Examiner.com

The researchers found that "pre-menopausal heavy smokers had a 6% increase in breast cancer malignancy."

Light or moderate smoking and second-hand smoke were not found as significant factors for cancer, however.

In the past, studies have suggested that smoking can help reduce levels of estrogen a hormone that can stimulate the onset of breast cancer. In fact, women have been known to smoke after menopause, thinking that it reduces the risk of breast cancer!

Research results about breast cancer and smoking have a long history of being conflicting and confusing. What's Moveable Feast's final conclusion about the topic? Not much is definitively known yet about how smoking affects breast cancer, and overall, it's better to not smoke.


P.S. Save the date for the Race for the Cure on Sunday, October 23rd, 2011, sponsored by the Maryland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 

P.P.S. Looking for something sooner to partake in? Consider going to Komen's "Many Faces of Breast Cancer 2011," on Saturday, March 26th. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, whose own mother was affected by breast cancer, will be the keynote speaker.