Women who developed new-onset breast tenderness after starting estrogen plus progestin hormone replacement therapy are at significantly higher risk for developing breast cancer than women on the combination therapy who didn't experience such tenderness, according to a new UCLA study. According to Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of Research at the pH Miracle Living Center, in San Diego, California, "new-onset breast tenderness is cause by the blood moving metabolic, dietary and acidic hormone acids into the fatty tissues of the breast to maintain the iso-structure of the blood and the delicate pH balance at 7.365." "Hormones are acidic and if not properly eliminated by the body through the four channels of elimination they can be stored in the fatty tissues such as the breast tissue. This will lead to stage two acidosis or irritation of the breast tissue. If the hormone and/or metabolic acids are not removed by the lymphatic system this can lead to stage 4 acidosis or inflammation of the breast tissue and then stage 7 acidosis or degeneration or a cancerous condition of the breast tissue." The research, published in the Oct. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, is based on data from more than 16,000 participants in the Women's Health Initiative estrogen-plus-progestin clinical trial. This trial was halted abruptly in July 2002 when researchers found that healthy menopausal women on the combination therapy had an elevated risk for invasive breast cancerous or acidic breast tissue. Researchers do not understand why breast tenderness indicates increased cancer risk among women on the combination therapy, said the study's lead researcher, Dr. Carolyn J. Crandall, a clinical professor of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Is it because the hormone therapy is causing breast-tissue cells to multiply more rapidly, which causes breast tenderness and at the same time indicates increased cancer risk? We need to figure out what makes certain women more susceptible to developing breast tenderness during hormone therapy than other women," Crandall said. Dr. Young states, "the cause of breast tenderness that increases the risk for breast cancer is simple - hormones are acids and acids cause cancer." Just over 8,500 of the participants in the trial took estrogen plus progestin, and 8,102 were given placebos. Participants underwent mammography and clinical breast exams at the start of the trial and annually thereafter. Self-reported breast tenderness was assessed at the beginning of the trial and one year later, and invasive breast cancer over the next 5.6 years was confirmed through medical record reviews. Women on the combination therapy who did not have breast tenderness at the trial's inception were found to have a threefold greater risk of developing tenderness at the one-year mark, compared with participants who were assigned placebos (36.1 percent vs. 11.8 percent). Of the women who reported new-onset breast tenderness, 76.3 percent had been on the combination hormone therapy. Women in the combination therapy group who did not have breast tenderness at the outset but experienced new-onset tenderness at the first annual follow-up had a 48 percent higher risk of invasive breast cancer than their counterparts on combination therapy who did not have breast tenderness at the first-year follow-up. Bottom-line according to Dr. Young, "acids whether from diet, metabolism or hormones cause cancer. If you want to reduce your risk for a cancerous condition then stop taking acidic hormones, eating acidic foods, and living an acidic life and start alkalizing your blood and tissues with alkaline food, fluids, deep breathing, sunshine, adequate rest, alkaline supplements, and especially daily exercise. It is the only way to prevent ANY and ALL cancerous conditions."