Link between insulin and breast cancer?
Meet the Experts
Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, dedicated to developing programs that improve the well-being of women treated for breast cancer.
Question from EllenA: Please comment on Dr. Pollak's hypothesis that there may be a relationship between insulin and IGF-1 levels and breast cancer. Could insulin resistance increase risk? Are there oncologists who specialize in endocrinology? Thank you for any suggestions.
- Answer —Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H.: The work presented at San Antonio builds on a large body of work, suggesting a connection between insulin growth factors and breast cancer. We have long known that high insulin levels, for example those seen in heavier women, are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. (Not all studies have shown this to be the case.) But the connection between insulin growth factor and breast cancer development and progression is being studied primarily by oncologists and endocrinologists together in addition to our laboratory colleagues, that is scientists who don't treat patients. Many breast oncologists view themselves as endocrinologists of sorts, because we deal with cancers that are dependent on hormones in many cases.
In addition to insulin growth factor, there are other substances that are altered in patients who have diabetes and who are heavy, and there is a tremendous amount of work being done in this area in terms of both understanding the development and growth of breast cancers and with an eye to developing therapies that could counteract the effect of insulin growth factor and other similar substances. One thing that is particularly interesting is women who undergo gastric bypass surgery have a lower risk of dying of cancer, and this excludes people with cancer. In other words, people are less likely to get cancer after bariatric surgery. It's possible that women are more likely to get mammograms after having such a procedure and that they may be diagnosed earlier because they change their relationship to their doctor after they lose a lot of weight. But equally likely is that losing a lot of weight alters metabolism of insulin, insulin growth factors, and another substance called adiponectin and other inflammatory substances. This is a very exciting area of research.
On Wednesday, December 19, 2007, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from San Antonio 2007. Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions and shared the newest research presented at this year's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.
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