The hidden role of the microenvironment in breast cancer is now coming to light thanks to recent research, advances in technology, and advocacy efforts.

As an Ob-Gyn physician and genomics specialist, empowering women to understand what creates health for them has been a focal point throughout my career. With this knowledge comes the ability to be proactive in their health. But far too often, the system of healthcare does not support or foster self-empowerment for physicians or the people we care for, and this ideal falls short.

I have spent the better part of 10 years translating research in the genomic and gene expression areas into clinically usable information for healthcare professionals. One of the biggest challenges we face when connecting research with patient care is the long delay in the translation process and dissemination of the information. It often takes 10 to 20 years for information that comes out of research to be applied in clinical practice. These delays result in many lost opportunities to provide better care for our patients. This is one of the reasons why I'm really passionate about accelerating this process and making it easier for clinicians and their patients to take advantage of cutting-edge information and new technologies.

As research advances in understanding the mechanisms behind breast density, we are also learning how these overlap significantly with those that lead to breast cancer. Estrogen has been the predominant focus, and while it certainly plays a prominent role, genetic expression profiling is revealing the role of other molecular mechanisms, including inflammation and angiogenesis in the microenvironment.

Not surprisingly, research is revealing the role that gene SNPs and epigenetics have in a woman’s risk for dense breasts as well as breast cancer. While there's much research that needs to be done, from my experience, there's a lot we can do already to potentially intervene and help women with dense breasts. As we wait for more definitive research, we can learn from the nutritional genomics and functional medicine realms.

We have long known that pro-inflammatory conditions are underlying drivers for so many of the chronic diseases we see today, from cancer to heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, depression, and more. The flip side of inflammation is oxidative stress. They go hand in hand. Personalized approaches to getting to the root causes of these imbalances and creating effective strategies using diet, lifestyle, advanced technologies, and mind-body healing is at the heart of the work I and others in this field have been doing for over a decade.

But knowledge needs to be shared in order to make a difference. It’s time to bring this to the forefront of medicine so that all women can benefit.

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