[RobinP]

Lani I just wanted to add that months ago I read an article which stated that if you are thin and use birth control you are at a higher risk for premenopausal breast cancer development than if you are normal weight or heavy. Accordingly, it appears that estrogen reaches toxic levels for those who are of lower body mass.

Additionally, a 2005 San Antonio Breast webcast suggested that high serum estrogen levels in study individuals resulted in later breast cancer development some 10-15 years later. I also recall an article that noted that lack of a gene allele involved with estrogen metabolism resulted in increased rates of breast cancer. Clearly, estrogen levels have a HUGE impact on later breast caner development. However, that is not to say that other factors do not have a role in breast cancer development, ig radiation exposure, environmental estrogen like carcinogens, diet, lack of certain oncogenes to prevent oncogenesis, etc.