Breast Cancer - Screening

Elevated IGF-1 Levels Signal Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk
Just as high levels of cholesterol in the blood predict heart attacks, high levels of insulin-like growth factor, or IGF-1, are linked to cancer risk. Swedish researchers measured plasma samples in 149 men already diagnosed with the disease and for 298 men in a control group. The results showed cancer patients had significantly higher levels of IGF-1 than healthy participants.

Similarly, a study reported in the International Journal of Cancer analyzed IGF-1 levels in 172 premenopausal women and 115 postmenopausal women with breast cancer, compared to a control group free of the disease. In postmenopausal women, elevated IGF-1 levels were not predictive of breast cancer risk; however, in premenopausal women they were. The finding suggests that high levels of IGF-1 in women under 50 may signal future trouble. The good news is that IGF-1 is exquisitely sensitive to diet. For example, vegans have lower IGF-1 levels while daily use of two to three dairy servings boosts IGF-1 levels by about 10 percent.

Stattin P, Bylund A, Rinaldi S, et al. Cancer risk: a prospective study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000;92:1910-7.

Toniolo P, Bruning PF, Akhmedkhanov A, et al. Serum insulin-like growth factor-I and breast cancer. Int J Cancer. 2000;88:828-32.

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