HGH And Breast Cancer

A lot of people know something about breast cancer nowadays, and it is also one of the common malignancies which a lot of women face. Breast cancer is by far the most common malignancy in women, affecting one in eight in the United States and Western Europe. An increased risk of breast cancer is associated with early menarche, late menopause, and nulliparity.

Breast cancer development is dependent on our hormonal balance. It is said that pituitary hormones are also essential for normal breast development. Moreover, some observations suggest they are also involved in the development of breast cancer. This is because in primate studies, administration of growth hormone induces a marked increase in mammary gland size and epithelial proliferation index.

But is it really true? Does HGH use predispose one to breast cancer?

Human growth hormone is being promoted nowadays as a nutritional supplement. Growth hormone is a protein-based poly-peptide hormone. It stimulates growth and cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. It is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide hormone that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary gland.

Growth hormone is used clinically to treat children's growth disorders and adult growth hormone deficiency. In recent years, replacement therapies with human growth hormones have become popular in the battle against aging and weight management. Reported effects on HGH deficient patients include decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, increased bone density, increased energy levels, improved skin tone and texture, increased sexual function and improved immune system function.

Can HGH Trigger Breast Cancer?

There are some studies done in which natural conditions leading to excessive growth hormone secretion, such as acromegaly, have been associated with an increased risk of malignancy. However, there are no studies which have actually linked medically supervised human growth hormone use for anti-aging and nutritional supplementation to breast cancer.

The incidence of breast cancer increases if HGH is being used without medical supervision. However, there are ways to prevent this if you are currently using human growth hormone.

First you should maintain a healthy body weight (BMI less than 25) throughout your life. Weight gain in midlife, independent of BMI, has been shown to significantly increase breast cancer risk. Additionally, and elevated BMI has been conclusively shown to increase the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer.

You should also minimize or avoid alcohol. Alcohol use is the most well established dietary risk factor for breast cancer.

You should consume as many fruits and vegetables as possible, especially cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower); dark leafy greens (collards, kale, spinach) ; carrots and tomatoes.