Source: Thailand Medical News Jan 25, 2020 4 years, 11 months, 5 days, 21 hours, 44 minutes ago
Medical researchers are saying that one of the causes of
breast cancer may be
inflammation triggered by harmful bacteria. The scientists say their idea, as yet unproven is supported by the available evidence, which is that bacterial-induced
inflammation is linked to cancer.
The new research published in the journal
Medical Hypotheses is by Lancaster University medical student Auday Marwaha, Professor Jim Morris from the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust and Dr. Rachael Rigby from Lancaster University’s Faculty of Health and Medicine.
The medical researchers say that: “There is a simple, inexpensive potential preventive remedy; which is for women to consume natural
yogurt on a daily basis.”
Typically,
yogurt contains beneficial lactose fermenting bacteria commonly found in milk, similar to the bacteria or
microflora found in
the breasts of mothers who have breastfed.
Dr. Rachael Rigby from Lancaster University told
Thailand Medical News, “We now know that
breast milk is not sterile and that lactation alters the
microflora of the
breast. Lactose fermenting bacteria are commonly found in milk and are likely to occupy the
breast ducts of women during lactation and for an unknown period after lactation.”
The researchers suggestion is that this lactose fermenting bacteria in the
breast is protective because each year of breastfeeding reduces the risk of
breast cancer by 4.3%.
Many previous studies have shown that the consumption of
yogurt is associated with a reduction in the risk of
breast cancer, which the researchers suggest may be due to the displacement of harmful bacteria by beneficial bacteria.
It has been observed that there are approximately 10 billion bacterial cells in the human body and while most are harmless, some bacteria create toxins that trigger
inflammation in the body.
Although chronic
inflammation destroys the harmful germs, it also damages the body. One of the most common inflammatory conditions is gum disease or periodontitis which has already been linked to oral, oesophageal, colonic, pancreatic, prostatic and
breast cancer.
The medical researchers conclude that: “The stem cells which divide to replenish the lining of the
breast ducts are influenced by the
microflora, and certain components of the
microflora have been shown in other organs, such as the colon and stomach, to increase the risk of
cancer
strong> development. Therefore a similar scenario is likely to be occurring in the breast, whereby resident microflora impact on stem cell division and influence cancer risk.”
Reference: “Hypothesis: Bacterial induced inflammation disrupts the orderly progression of the stem cell hierarchy and has a role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer” by A. K. Marwaha, J. A. Morris and R. J. Rigby, 13 December 2019, Medical Hypotheses.
DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109530
