Women are exposed to excess estrogen every day in meat, poultry, pesticides and pollution as well as oral contraceptive pills and hormone replacement therapy.

According to a 2006 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, an increased breast cancer risk is associated with elevated blood levels of endogenous estrogen, clinical indicators of persistently elevated blood estrogen levels and exposure to exogenous estrogen plus progestin through hormone-replacement therapy and the use of oral contraceptives. In experimental animals, estrogen treatment leads to the development of mammary tumors. Together, these observations support the hypothesis that certain estrogen metabolites may cause mammary-gland tumors.

A possible way to determine the risk of breast cancer may lie in a test called an EMI, or estrogen metabolite index. This simple urine test indicates how the body metabolizes estrogen - either by breaking it down to a weak form or by processing it in a way that stimulates breast tissue that increases risk.   "Knowing a woman's EMI is a critical first step towards a risk reduction lifestyle," says Dr. Kevin Lyon, DC of Beyond Wellness Chiropractic Center in Charlotte.

Learning how each woman's body processes estrogen along with certain dietary changes may help reduce breast cancer risk. Women can ask their health care providers about an EMI test.

Contributed by Beyond Wellness Chiropractic, a center offering chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and EMI testing. 5035-A WT Harris Blvd in Charlotte. Info: 704-461-1836.