Archive for month: August, 2024

Some who experience menopause early may be at increased risk for developing breast cancer, according to research led by scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) and the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the U.

Researchers found that women who underwent menopause before age 46 were nearly twice as likely to have breast cancer as other women of similar ages. Their relatives were also more likely to have breast, prostate, or colon cancer. The study is published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), a condition that occurs when the ovaries stop working properly because of the early loss of eggs, causes some people to go through menopause at a relatively young age.

“When women go through primary ovarian insufficiency they are at risk for a number of diseases like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease,” says the study’s senior author Corrine Welt, MD, an endocrinologist and researcher in the Department of Internal Medicine at the U. “Our results suggest some of these women should be monitored over their lifetimes for cancer risk as well.”

“This work has increased an understanding of the relationship between primary ovarian insufficiency and reproductive cancers, which could guide preventive strategies,” says study co-author Nicola Camp, PhD, a cancer genetic epidemiologist at Huntsman Cancer Institute and director of the Utah Population Database (UPDB). The research team used the unique resource to reveal the relationships between the health conditions.

Connecting cancer and reproductive health

Primary ovarian insufficiency often runs in families, with inherited, genetic factors accounting for up to 43% of cases. Prior studies found that some of the mutations believed to cause the reproductive health condition were similar to those involved in cancer. The correlation prompted the research team to investigate whether these individuals had a higher risk of cancer compared to the general population. They also analyzed women with a related condition, early menopause, which occurs between ages 40 to 45. The women in the study developed breast cancer at almost two times the rate of the general population.

Additionally, relatives of individuals with POI were at greater risk of cancer.

• Second-degree relatives, which include aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, and nephews, had a 30% higher risk for breast cancer and a 50% increased risk for colon cancer.

• First-, second-, and third-degree relatives, which include great-grandparents and first cousins, had a 30-60% increased risk of prostate cancer.

Cousins being included in these findings could have broad health implications, Welt explains. People with POI and early menopause may benefit from increased cancer screening. Additionally, individuals of reproductive age from families predisposed to these cancers might be candidates for infertility testing.

In addition to the UPDB, the scientists also examined medical records from two health systems—University of Utah Health and Intermountain Healthcare—that serve 85% of the Utah population. Between 1995 and 2021, 613 individuals were diagnosed with POI and another 165 with early menopause. Then, those individuals were cross-referenced with the Utah Cancer Registry, which tracks cancer incidence and deaths in the state.

Results on familial cancer risk came from more than 26,500 relatives who were represented in the cancer registry and the UPDB. “Utah Population Database is a multi-source data resource with over one billion health-related records, 50 years of cancer data, and at least three generations of family structure for 4.5 million people,” Camp says. “It is a perfect platform to ask questions regarding relationships between different diseases with goals of guiding preventive strategies and improving the health of populations.”

Searching for missing links

The connections between early menopause and cancer lies deep within our body’s cells, the study suggests. To uncover these links, the scientists examined the DNA of six women. Each had an unusual variation in one of the genes that keeps our cells healthy. According to Welt, defects in these basic processes could both compromise the health of ovaries and increase the likelihood of uncontrolled cell division, a hallmark of cancer.

Understanding the root cause of these health conditions could one day lead to new treatments. For now, however, they offer answers. “For women with a POI diagnosis, it’s devastating,” Welt says. “Having an explanation helps them find closure.”

Reference:

Kristina Allen-Brady, Barry Moore, Lauren E Verrilli, Margaret A Alvord, Marina Kern, Nicola Camp, Kristen Kelley, Joseph Letourneau, Lisa Cannon-Albright, Mark Yandell, Erica B Johnstone, Corrine K Welt, Breast Cancer Is Increased in Women With Primary Ovarian Insufficiency, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2024;, dgae480, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgae480.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology reveals periodontal disease linked to all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Kolkata: The West Bengal government has advised the medical colleges and hospitals in the state to avoid allotting night duties to women doctors.

“All attempts will be made to avoid allotting night duties to women doctors as far as possible,” said Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor Alapan Bandopadhyay while announcing a new initiative christened “Ratiirer Sathi” (night companion) for ensuring the safety of the women doctors.

Bandopadhyay said that women-friendly security personnel will be deployed at all medical colleges and hospitals.

“There will be separate toilets and restrooms for the women doctors. Safe zones will be created for them which will be under blanket CCTV coverage. A special app will be created through which the doctors will be connected to the local police stations. It will be compulsory for all women hospital doctors to download the app,” Bandopadhyay said.

He added that arrangements will be made for regular night patrolling by the local police at the medical colleges and hospitals.

“Shifts will be arranged in such a manner that in case of night duties the women doctors can function in pairs,” said Bandopadhyay.

He said that the state government has also requested the private medical entities to follow these guidelines.

“This system will be followed in Kolkata as well as in the districts. In case of the deployment of security personnel, the administration will be careful that a balanced male-to-female ratio is maintained,” he added.

On August 9, a female doctor in the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the premises.

She was a second-year postgraduate medical student at the hospital and was also working as a house staff with the chest medicine division.

The body was discovered by the hospital staff on the fourth floor of the emergency building of the hospital at around noon.

The brutal rape and murder of the female doctor have sent shockwaves across the country and pitched different political parties against each. The doctors across the country are observing a strike and demanding capital punishment for the accused.

New Delhi: As the doctors of the entire nation are demanding justice for the brutal rape and murder of a fellow doctor at RG Kar Medical College, a disturbing news comes from AIIMS New Delhi ( All India Institute of Medical Sciences) whose neurosurgeon allegedly died by suicide today. The doctor is suspected to have taken an overdose and police have recovered a suicide note from the spot

 “This is my own wish, I blame no one for this and this is nobody’s fault so please do not harass anyone and please respect my wish be happy”, the doctor stated in his suicide note.

The doctor has been identified as a 34 year old neurosurgeon associated with AIIMS, New Delhi. He was posted at the Trauma Centre of AIIMS.

“34-year-old neurosurgeon at AIIMS Delhi allegedly died by suicide today (August 18). Dr R** G***a, a resident of Rajkot in Gujarat, died due to a suspected overdose as used vials of medicines and syringes were found in his house in the Gautam Nagar area,| police said.

As per ANI, He was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where he was declared dead.

”At around 2 pm on Sunday, a PCR call was received at the Hauz Khas police station regarding suicide by a doctor in the Gautam Nagar area. Police reached the spot and found G***a in an unconscious state,” a senior police officer said.

According to Delhi Police in the initial enquiry, it was found that the reason for the suicide could be a family dispute.