Health
Actress Olivia Munn credits breast cancer risk-assessment score for saving her life
Olivia Munn claims that her breast cancer risk-assessment score helped save her life.
The actress, 43, shared on social media this week that the score helped detect her breast cancer just months after she had a negative mammogram and tested negative on several genetic tests.
The high-risk score prompted Munn’s physician to send her for further evaluations — including an MRI and ultrasound that detected cancer in both breasts, according to her Instagram post on Wednesday.
OLIVIA MUNN DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER
“She discovered my lifetime risk was at 37%,” Munn wrote.
“Because of that score, I was sent to get an MRI, which led to an ultrasound, which then led to a biopsy. The biopsy showed I had Luminal B cancer in both breasts. Luminal B is an aggressive, fast-moving cancer.”
What is the breast cancer risk assessment score?
While there are several risk assessment tools available to patients and physicians, the breast cancer risk assessment tool (BCRAT), also known as the Gail Model, is one of the most common.
The test, which takes about five minutes to complete, helps predict a female’s risk of developing an invasive breast cancer within the next five years and up to 90 years of age, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
John Mulaney and Olivia Munn attend the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 10, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. Munn claims that her breast cancer risk assessment score helped save her life.
BCRAT calculates the woman’s “absolute breast cancer risk,” which the organization defines on its website as the “chance or probability of developing invasive breast cancer in a defined age interval.”
The risk calculator tool looks at several factors, including age, race, medical history and reproductive history.
It also looks at the presence of a family history of breast cancer among first-degree relatives, such as mothers, sisters and daughters.
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The information is then calculated.
A five-year risk score of 1.67% or more is considered high-risk, and a health care provider may recommend certain medications to decrease the chances of developing cancer, according to Cleveland Clinic’s website.
Dr. Nicole Saphier, M.D., board-certified breast imaging radiologist and associate professor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, recommends individual risk assessments to her referring clinicians and patients.
“Olivia Munn’s doctor may have saved her life by doing so,” Saphier said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Dr. Nicole Saphier, M.D., board-certified breast imaging radiologist and associate professor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, said she recommends individual risk assessments to her referring clinicians and patients. (Fox News)
“While a standard mammogram is sufficient for nearly half of all women, many others will benefit from adding an ultrasound or MRI based on breast density and various other factors that may make someone higher risk.”
Less than 5% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer will have cancer in the contralateral (opposite) breast, Saphier pointed out.
“Olivia Munn was one of those rare cases.”
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Dr. Ruth Oratz, a breast medical oncologist at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center in New York City, told Fox News Digital that if a patient uses the risk assessment herself and finds that she is at increased risk of breast cancer, she should discuss this with her physician.
“The doctor can then do a more detailed evaluation as to her breast cancer risk,” Oratz said.
“For example, if there is a family history of breast cancer, then the patient may be referred for genetic testing. This information may give a more specific evaluation of the patient’s risk of breast, or even other types, of cancer.”
Less than 5% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer will have cancer in the contralateral (opposite) breast — which means Olivia Munn’s case was rare, a doctor noted. (Instagram: Olivia Munn)
Another breast cancer specialist told Fox News Digital that the risk of cancer could vary widely among women.
The average woman’s risk is approximately 10% to 12% at the lowest end of the spectrum, according to Dr. Elisa Port, chair of breast surgery for The Mount Sinai Health System and director of the Dubin Breast Center in New York City.
“By contrast, the highest identifiable risk is associated with BRCA mutation carriers,” she told Fox News Digital in a statement.
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“For them, the risk of getting breast cancer can be as high as 60% to 80%.”
She added, “Women who are not genetic mutation carriers might still be at increased risk of getting breast cancer based on a variety of other factors.”
Munn tested negative for the BRCA mutation gene, according to her Instagram post.
“While a standard mammogram is sufficient for nearly half of all women, many others will benefit from adding an ultrasound or MRI based on breast density and various other factors that may make someone higher risk,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“The largest drivers of increased risk include having a family history of breast cancer on either a mother or father’s side, having previous breast biopsies, and importantly, if any of those biopsies showed findings of atypical cells,” Port said.
Other factors that are of lower added risk include age at onset of menstruation, the number of children a woman has had, and her age at first childbearing.
Potential limitations
There are some limitations to the BCRAT.
The tool is not accurate when it comes to estimating the risk in women who tested positive for the breast cancer-producing mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2, those with a history of invasive or in situ breast cancer (in the milk ducts), and certain subgroups, according to the NCI.
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“If a woman knows she has a BRCA or other genetic mutation, then the breast cancer risk assessment is not really accurate,” Oratz said in her statement to Fox News Digital.
“She should then discuss her cancer risk with her team of health care providers.”
Although this tool may accurately estimate a woman’s chances of breast cancer, it does not determine whether she will actually develop the disease, the NCI stated.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. (iStock)
BCRAT also underestimates risk in Black women who had previous biopsies and Hispanic women born outside the United States, the organization noted.
Risk estimates for American Indian/Alaska Native women are partly based on data for White women due to limited data for this demographic and may be inaccurate.
Further studies are needed, according to the Institute.
For women with a genetic mutation, the risk of getting breast cancer can be as high as 60% to 80%.
While all risk assessment tools have limitations, they can still play a role in cancer prevention, breast cancer specialists told Fox News Digital.
“These models can help identify women at increased risk, allowing for more personalized and tailored screening,” Port said.
It is important for women to discuss risk assessment scores with a health care provider to determine next steps, Oratz added.
A five-year risk score of 1.67% or more is considered high-risk, and a health care provider may recommend certain medications to decrease the chances of developing cancer, according to Cleveland Clinic’s website. (iStock)
“If someone is at significantly increased risk of developing breast cancer, then she should review with her doctor consideration of recommendations for increased screening and surveillance,” she said.
For women with genetic mutations that are very high risk, they should see a breast cancer specialist to discuss other options, she recommended.
Controllable factors
Depending on individual risk levels, there are steps a woman can take to help lower the possibility of developing breast cancer, health experts told Fox News Digital.
Eating a healthy diet and staying active can help reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer, experts agreed. (iStock)
“It is important to have a healthy body weight and not be overweight,” Oratz said.
It is also important to eat a healthy diet that limits sugar, fat and alcohol.
“Alcohol is a significant risk factor for breast cancer,” Oratz noted. “We recommend that women do not drink alcohol every day and have not more than one or two drinks on the days that they do drink.”
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“Remaining physically fit with exercise and some weight training to maintain muscle mass and strength also contributes to general overall health,” the expert added.
In some cases, medications may help lower the risk of breast cancer, but individuals should discuss this with their health care provider, according to Oratz.
In some cases, medications may help lower the risk of breast cancer, but each individual should discuss this with a health care provider, an expert said. (iStock)
When it comes to assessing the risk of developing breast cancer, risk assessment scores can help health care providers come up with a plan for monitoring, diagnosis and early treatment, according to Cleveland Clinic’s website.
Cancer risk is not one size fits all, Saphier pointed out.
“Even though one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, there are many different types of breast cancer and they can occur at just about any age,” she said.
“After a breast cancer diagnosis, the risk of it returning never goes to zero, but early diagnosis and intervention give the option for less invasive treatments and the best chance of survival,” she said.
“In Olivia Munn’s case, she has taken every action possible to see her son grow up.”
Munn’s son Malcolm was born in November 2021.
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A new review suggests that the type of fat you eat may affect your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Saturated fats rich in palmitic acid – the most common saturated fatty acid in U.S. foods – appear to make it harder for the body to respond to insulin.
Meanwhile, monounsaturated fats rich in oleic acid — such as those found in olive oil — may help protect against insulin resistance, the review concluded.
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“Palmitic acid is found in meats, dairy products, cocoa butter and in the form of palm oil in foods, including margarine, cereal, sweets, baked goods and fast foods,” Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, told Fox News Digital. She was not involved in the review.
“Oleic acid, on the other hand, is in higher concentration in foods like olive oil, canola oil, nuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, olive, avocados and also in meats (beef, chicken, pork), milk, cheese and pasta.”
Saturated fats rich in palmitic acid – the most common saturated fatty acid in U.S. foods – appear to make it harder for the body to respond to insulin. (iStock)
The review, which was published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, was led by researchers from the University of Barcelona and the CIBER Area for Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) in Spain.
The findings suggest that fat quality may be more important than total fat quantity when it comes to metabolic health and diabetes risk.
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This appears to support the idea that diets rich in monounsaturated fats, such as the Mediterranean diet, may contribute to lower rates of type 2 diabetes.
“Palmitic acid promotes several molecular processes that impair insulin action,” study investigator Dr. Manuel Vázquez-Carrera, from the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry at the University of Barcelona, told Fox News Digital.
“Palmitic acid is found in meats, dairy products, cocoa butter and in the form of palm oil in foods, including margarine, cereal, sweets, baked goods and fast foods,” a nutritionist said. (iStock)
Too much palmitic acid can cause harmful fat byproducts to build up in the body, which can impair the body’s ability to respond to insulin, he warned. This makes it harder to control blood sugar and increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
“It also promotes inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular stress responses, which contribute to insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction,” Vázquez-Carrera added.
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By contrast, oleic acid – a hallmark of the Mediterranean diet – does not have these harmful effects, according to the researcher.
“In fact, oleic acid can counteract many of the detrimental effects triggered by palmitic acid, by promoting the storage of fatty acids in relatively inert triglycerides, preserving mitochondrial function and reducing inflammation,” he said.
“All sources of fat in our diet contain a mix of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.”
Freirich confirmed that the review is consistent with previous research supporting the use of olive oil in the diet for metabolic benefits.
“Also confirming previous research, the consumption of saturated fats is associated with some negative metabolic changes,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Given the complexity of foods and diets, there is an overlap between foods that contain both types of fatty acids, the nutritionist noted.
“Palmitic acid and oleic acid can both be found in olive oil, baked goods and fast foods, in differing amounts,” she said. “All sources of fat in our diet contain a mix of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.”
Study limitations
Vázquez-Carrera noted that these findings come from a review of numerous experimental, clinical and epidemiological studies rather than a single clinical trial.
“One important limitation is that much of the mechanistic evidence comes from cell culture and animal studies,” he said.
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“Although these studies provide valuable insights into how specific fatty acids affect insulin signaling, further human intervention studies are needed to confirm the extent to which these mechanisms operate in everyday dietary settings.”
In addition, many of the human studies in the review relied on self-reported dietary intake, which can introduce inaccuracies.
Type 2 diabetes develops over many years, with genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors all playing a role, the researcher noted. (iStock)
“Another challenge is that people consume foods containing complex mixtures of fatty acids and bioactive compounds rather than isolated fatty acids,” Vázquez-Carrera added. “Therefore, it remains difficult to fully disentangle the specific contribution of individual fatty acids in free-living populations.”
Nutritional recommendations
The review’s findings appear to support current dietary recommendations that emphasize replacing part of the saturated fat intake with unsaturated fats, according to Vázquez-Carrera.
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“This means favoring dietary patterns rich in foods such as extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, legumes, vegetables, fruits and fish, while limiting excessive consumption of foods rich in saturated fats, especially highly processed foods,” he advised.
The review does not suggest that a single nutrient alone determines diabetes risk, the researcher pointed out.
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“Rather, maintaining a healthy body weight, engaging in regular physical activity and following an overall healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, remain fundamental strategies for preventing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.”
Type 2 diabetes develops over many years, with genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors all playing a role, Vázquez-Carrera noted.
Improving the quality of dietary fat intake could prove to be an effective strategy for reducing type 2 diabetes risk, the review suggests. (iStock)
“Future research should move beyond simply classifying fats as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and instead focus on understanding how specific fatty acids, their dietary sources and their interactions within whole dietary patterns affect metabolic health,” he said.
Improving the quality of dietary fat intake could prove to be an effective strategy for reducing type 2 diabetes risk, according to the researcher.
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“A simple takeaway for consumers is to swap out foods high in saturated fat more often with foods rich in heart-healthy fats, like olive oil, nuts and avocados, to better support blood sugar and metabolic health,” advised New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who was also not involved in the review.
Anyone at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes should consult a healthcare provider for personalized guidance on nutrition, exercise and other preventive measures, experts say.
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Just four minutes of daily strength exercises can dramatically improve mobility, balance and leg strength in older adults, per new research from the Penn State College of Medicine.
Standard public health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. However, the study suggests that fewer than one in five older adults meet the recommended muscle-strengthening guidelines.
The research team designed a home-based program called Functional Activity Strength Training, or FAST-2. They evaluated 97 sedentary participants 65 and older, with an average age of 74.
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Before entering the study, these individuals were averaging just 18 minutes of total physical activity each week.
The older adults were randomly split into two groups, with one group performing the daily exercise routine and the other serving as a control group that received no intervention, according to the study’s press release.
Just four minutes of daily home strength training can significantly improve mobility, balance and leg strength in older adults, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study. (iStock)
Participants performed four basic movements for 30 seconds each, separated by 30-second rest intervals. The entire routine lasted exactly four minutes. The circuit consisted of push-ups, chair stands, two-arm resistance-band rows and stair stepping.
To keep the routine accessible, researchers provided written explanations and simple modifications. For example, participants could perform push-ups against a kitchen counter or wall, or use their hands on their knees for support during chair stands.
Participants were also given four elastic resistance bands and an adjustable step platform.
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“Exercise is actually really complicated, because you have to decide how many repetitions, how far, how many sets, how much rest and how many times per week,” co-author Smita Dandekar, associate professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine, said in the press release.
“It’s hard work … so if we can make it short, we’re part [of the] way there.”
The program consisted of four basic movements: push-ups, chair stands, resistance-band rows and stair stepping. (iStock)
As the participants grew stronger, they were encouraged to progress to higher levels of difficulty, such as transitioning away from modifications or increasing the height of the stepper.
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After 12 weeks, the results suggested that a tiny dose of regular exercise could yield noticeable physical benefits. In a 30-second chair-stand test, the exercise group performed an average of 4.2 more repetitions than the control group.
“These indicators … give you a sense of whether or not you’re going to be able to be active in the future.”
The adults doing the exercises also shaved 2.3 seconds off their time during a test measuring how they could stand up and sit down five times consecutively. Furthermore, they extended their one-legged balance time by an average of 3.6 seconds.
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The researchers emphasized that these specific measurements are critical medical indicators of an older adult’s future health.
By keeping the routine ultra-short, researchers eliminated common barriers like time constraints and exhaustion, resulting in an exceptionally high 81% workout completion rate. (iStock)
“These indicators predict your future ability to go into a nursing home, your future likelihood of falling and of developing difficulty walking,” noted lead author Christopher Sciamanna, professor of medicine and of public health at Penn State College of Medicine, in the press release.
“They give you a sense of whether or not you’re going to be able to be active in the future.”
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While traditional home exercise programs generally see low engagement, the participants in this study successfully completed their workouts on 81% of the tracked days, according to the researchers.
After 12 weeks, exercising seniors gained the ability to complete an average of four more chair-stand repetitions than those who did not exercise. (iStock)
The study had several noted limitations. As it tracked a relatively small sample size of fewer than 100 individuals over a brief 12-week time frame, it is unknown whether these mobility gains can be sustained long-term.
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Additionally, the researchers did not specify the exact dropout rates or detail how the routine might affect seniors who already relied on assistive devices like walkers or canes.
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Because the final trial results reflected a specific group of participants who met the entry criteria, further investigation is required to determine whether the short routine can safely benefit older adults facing more severe physical limitations or cognitive decline.
The study was published in the journal PLOS One.
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