Weight is the biggest factor affecting the level of sex hormones that increase breast cancer risk in post menopausal women, according to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Wednesday). Alcohol followed by cigarettes are the next things that also appear to affect hormone levels. The Cancer Research UK funded study examined how levels of sex hormones* - known to affect breast cancer risk - varied among post menopausal women. Some types of breast cancer are fuelled by the female sex hormone oestrogen. The analysis combined the records of nearly 6,300 post menopausal women from 13 different studies.
