--- title: Does Body Fat Reduction Play a Role in Breast Cancer Risk? description: Excess fat can increase the body's estrogen levels, which can cause the growth of breast cancer cells. image: https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202020-10-06%20at%201.12.31%20PM.png --- [PATIENT PORTAL](https://totalaccess.healthyhumans.com) [PAY ONLINE](https://www.totalaccessmedical.com/pay-online/) [![Total Access Medical LLC Logo](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/hs-fs/file-2447450201-png/images/tam-logo.png?width=270&name=tam-logo.png "Total Access Medical LLC Logo")](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/) ≡ - [How We Fit Into Your Life](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-healthcare-fit-life/) - [What Is Concierge Medicine?](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-healthcare-fit-life/concierge-medicine/) - [Member Stories](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-healthcare-fit-life/concierge-medical-care-testimonials/) - [Doctor Stories](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-healthcare-fit-life/boutique-medicine/) - [About](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/about-concierge-health-services/) - [Founder's Story](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/about-concierge-health-services/concierge-practices-story/) - [Doctors](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/doctors) - [Specialties](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-medicine/) - [Family Medicine](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-medicine/main-line-family-medicine/) - [Internal Medicine](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-medicine/internal-medicine-philadelphia/) - [Holistic Medicine Integrative Medicine](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-medicine/holistic-medicine-philadelphia/) - [Geriatric Medicine](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-medicine/geriatric-doctors/) - [Getting Started](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/getting-started-concierge-care/) - [How TAM Works with Insurance](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/concierge-healthcare-fit-life/concierge-medicine-and-insurance/) - [HSA & FSA](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/explained-fsa-and-hsa-for-concierge-medicine) - [FAQ](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/getting-started-concierge-care/faq/) - [Plans & Programs](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/medical-concierge-services-cater-needs/) - [Individual Programs](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/medical-concierge-services-cater-needs/use-personal-wellness-program-take-care/) - [Family Programs](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/medical-concierge-services-cater-needs/concierge-family-medicine-programs/) - [Corporate Programs](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/medical-concierge-services-cater-needs/corporate-health-programs/) - [Senior Programs](http://www.totalaccessmedical.com/medical-concierge-services-cater-needs/boutique-medicine-seniors/) - [Blog](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog) - [Living Well](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog) - [TRANSITIONING TO DPC](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/en/blog-transition) - Shop [About](http://totalaccessmedical.com/about/) [Blog](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/) # Total Access Medical - Direct Primary Care Blog # Does Body Fat Reduction Play a Role in Breast Cancer Risk? Posted by [Total Access Medical](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/author/total-access-medical) on Oct 15, 2024 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![Screen Shot 2020-10-06 at 1.12.31 PM](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202020-10-06%20at%201.12.31%20PM.png?width=320&name=Screen%20Shot%202020-10-06%20at%201.12.31%20PM.png)Every woman wants to know what she can do to lower her risk of breast cancer. Some of the factors associated with breast cancer – being a woman, age, and genetics – can’t be changed. Other factors – being overweight, lack of exercise, eating unhealthy food – can be changed by making the right choices. A reduction in overall body fat is associated with lower levels of breast cancer markers. The study published in [*Endocrine-Related Cancer*](http://erc.endocrinology-journals.org), found that levels of several breast cancer risk markers were reduced in postmenopausal women who lost total body fat. **The Study** In this study, 243 overweight, postmenopausal women lost 10-12 lb of weight over 16 weeks. Levels of sex hormones, leptin and inflammatory markers were compared to levels prior to weight loss. Total and abdominal fat changes were assessed using x-ray and MRI-based scans.  After 16 weeks a reduction in total body fat was associated with favourable changes in the levels of breast cancer risk markers, including sex hormones and leptin, whilst a reduction in belly fat was more associated with a reduction in inflammatory markers.  This higher risk is because fat cells make estrogen; extra fat cells mean more estrogen in the body, and estrogen can make hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers develop and grow. Regular exercise reduces breast cancer risk for both pre- and postmenopausal women. The American Cancer Society and many doctors recommend women exercise 4 to 5 hours per week at a moderate intensity level. Brisk walking is considered moderate intensity exercise. In summary, excess fat can increase the body's estrogen levels. Estrogen can cause the growth of breast cancer cells. **Other Breast Cancer Prevention Strategies ** Limit alcohol. [Research](https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/23/health/breast-cancer-risk-alcohol-study/index.html) suggests that drinking more increases breast cancer risk. Each 10-gram-per-day increase in alcohol consumption leads to a 7% to 10% increase in breast cancer risk (an average drink has about 14 grams of alcohol). Even light drinking can increase risk. Still, many people believe the heart benefits of drinking alcohol, especially red wine, outweigh any breast cancer risks. But it’s important to know that there are other ways to keep your heart healthy besides drinking alcohol. Women who are concerned about breast cancer risk may want to limit alcohol or avoid it completely. The researchers reported that women who most closely stuck to the American Cancer Society guidelines for weight, diet, drinking alcohol, and exercise had a 22% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who strayed the farthest from the guidelines. **Consider preventive medicine.** The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released new [guidelines](https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/UpdateSummaryFinal/breast-cancer-medications-for-risk-reduction) on using hormonal therapy medicines to reduce risk in women with a high risk of breast cancer who haven’t been diagnosed. --- [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/383975/00ca31ab-c428-4e7c-b496-e2a751a1e840.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/383975/00ca31ab-c428-4e7c-b496-e2a751a1e840) Topics: [Personal Wellness Plan](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/personal-wellness-plan), [Weight Loss](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/weight-loss) - [Transitioning to DPC](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/en/blog-transition) - [Health](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog) ### Subscribe to Blog ### Posts by Topic - [Diet (51)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/diet) - [Healthy Eating (46)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/healthy-eating) - [Concierge Medicine (43)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/concierge-medicine) - [Recent Research (41)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/recent-research) - [Nutrition (38)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/nutrition) - [Direct Primary Care (37)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/direct-primary-care) - [Exercise (32)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/exercise) - [Health (30)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/health) - [Weight Loss (27)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/weight-loss) - [Healthcare Today (26)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/healthcare-today) - [Primary Care Today (25)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/primary-care-today) - [Wellness (25)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/wellness) - [Staying Healthy (22)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/staying-healthy) - [Healthy Mind (20)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/healthy-mind) - [Cancer (19)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/cancer) - [Personal Wellness Plan (18)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/personal-wellness-plan) - [Female Health (16)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/female-health) - [Breast cancer (15)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/breast-cancer) - [Physician Shortage (15)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/physician-shortage) - [Aging (14)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/aging) - [Executive Health (13)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/executive-health) - [Heart Health (12)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/heart-health) - [flu (12)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/flu) - [prevention (12)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/prevention) - [Diabetes (11)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/diabetes) - [Stress Management (11)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/stress-management) - [brain health (9)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/brain-health) - [Alzheimer's (7)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/alzheimers) - [Men's Health (7)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/mens-health) - [Doctor's Appointments (6)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/doctors-appointments) - [Elder Care (6)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/elder-care) - [Healthcare (6)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/healthcare) - [philadelphia (6)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/philadelphia) - [Diabetes Management (5)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/diabetes-management) - [Dr. Daphne Goldberg (5)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/dr-daphne-goldberg) - [Family Medicine (5)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/family-medicine) - [Concierge Primary Care Physicians (4)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/concierge-primary-care-physicians) - [Dr. David Perkins (4)](https://wellness.totalaccessmedical.com/blog/topic/dr-david-perkins) - [Dr. Teresa A. 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