Thursday, July 19, 2012

Birmingham Surgeon on Cataract & Ovarian Cancer Risk

Interesting research was reviewed by Birmingham Cataract Surgeon Marc Michelson, M.D. regarding cataracts and ovarian cancer risk. “Current research on women with cataracts suggests that they may be at less risk for developing ovarian cancer,” said Dr. Michelson. “Our daily routines in Birmingham and really throughout Alabama and the south expose us to a fair amount of ultraviolet (UV) light each day. A major health benefit of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the production of Vitamin D, which is helpful in protection against several human cancers, including ovarian carcinoma. Now, on the other hand we know that being exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light from is a well recognized risk factor for cataract formation”. 

Researchers reporting in the November 2011 publication Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention studied 709 women with primary invasive ovarian carcinoma and 1101 controls to examine the association of Ovarian Carcinoma risk with a history of Cataract. Some interesting findings were that older age, a history of Type 2 Diabetes and skin cancer were significant risk factors for developing a Cataract. Further, a history of cataract was reported by 14% of cases and 17% of controls and was significantly associated with a reduced Ovarian Carcinoma risk. These findings add indirect evidence to the hypothesis that lifetime Vitamin D exposure may be inversely associated with risk of Ovarian Carcinoma. Additional studies are needed to further investigate the potential behavioral and biological factors that might influence association of cataract with ovarian cancer. 

If you or someone you know has questions about cataracts, cataract surgery or the risk of ovarian cancer they are encouraged to schedule an eye examination at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham by calling 205-930-0930, visiting Alabama Eye & Cataract Center or facebook.com/michelsonlaservision. 

Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.