Hormone levels may predict breast cancer risk

Higher levels of certain sex hormones may lead to a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer for women, according to a new study out of Harvard Medical School. The findings suggest it may be possible to test these hormone levels and identify women who may benefit the most from a prescription to buy Tamoxifen.

For the study, the researchers analyzed blood samples taken from a group of nurses nine years before the investigation began. They then looked at the health records of these participants.

The results showed that higher levels of any one of eight different sex hormones increased a woman's risk of breast cancer by 16 percent. The more hormones a participant had in excess, the more likely she was to develop tumors.

The researchers said that elevated estrogen and testosterone levels have long been recognized as risk factors for breast cancer, but the new study further deepens medical knowledge of how hormones affect a person's odds of developing cancer.

This could lead to new tests that spot dangerous elevations in hormone levels that could alert doctors to a person's risk at an early stage.