1. Cholesterol as a risk factor of the
breast cancer development in
women
Justin Cotto Reyes
Rise Program
Professor Rodríguez
University of Puerto Rico, Cayey

2. Introduction
 Cholesterol and triglycerides (fats and oils) are a group of
organic compounds (lipids) of oily, greasy or waxy nature.
http://www.goddesshuntress.com/2
010/10/28/essential-oils-your-face/

3. Saturated Fats
 The fats are classified into saturated an unsaturated
groups.
http://www.her.ie/life/food-drink

4. Survey: Fast Food Restaurants
Survey Yes No Yes No
Is the vegetable oil used to cook? 8 0 100% 0%
Does the oil contains “transfat”? 5 3 62.5% 37.5%
Is it used for more than one day? 8 0 100% 0%
Is the food cooked in the same pan? 2 6 25% 75%
Is the oil reused to cook any other type of
food?
8 0 100% 0%

5. Observations
 The consumption of french fries can be linked to breast
cancer because in certain restaurants the oil is reused,
which can contain animal fat as part of the residue of
cooking different meats or its derivatives like chicken.

6. What is the effect of oils in the human being?
In addition to high levels of cholesterol, excessive fat
intake is associated with obesity, gallbladder disease
and some types of cancer.

7. Relationship between fat and breast cancer
 French fries consumption is correlated to develop
breast cancer.
 A recent research published in the "British Journal
of Cancer" not only confirms this relationship but
ensures that the risk is independent of other
factors such as obesity.
(Litcher, 2005)

8. Proto-oncogenes
 A proto-oncogene is a normal gene that can become an
oncogene due to mutations or increased expression.

9. Oncogenes
Unknown Illustrator - This image was released by the National Cancer Institute, an agency part of the
National Institutes of Health, with the ID 2351.

10. Examples
PROTOONCOGENES NORMAL FUNCTION ASOCIATED CANCER
K-rasK-ras Signal transduction
molecule
Colorectal, Bladder
CDK2,4CDK2,4
Regulate the phases from
the cell cycle
Bladder, Breast
CiclinesCiclines
CDK binds and regulates
the cell cycle
Lung, Esophagus
c-erbBc-erbB
Transmembrane growth
factor receptor
Glioblastomas, Cervical,
Breast

11. Objectives
1. Determine precisely the relation between the french
fries consumption and breast cancer, and the major
risk factors.
2. Understand the importance of having a healthy diet
consuming low levels of cholesterol.

12. Problem
 Why is there an incidence that girls between 8 and 15
years old suffer of cancer in their adult age if they eat
french fries that are fried with reused oil?

13. Hypothesis
 Consuming french fries that were cooked with oil that
was previously used to fry chicken, other meat and
fatty foods can increase the risk of developing breast
cancer.

14. Methodology
1.Search for information of these properties.
2.Verify if there is a probability of a relation between the
breast cancer and french fries by analyzing the oils in which
these are cooked for the presence of saturated fat.
3.Calculate the major risk factors using cancerous, pre-
cancerous and normal cells.
4.Identify the presence of proto-oncogenes and oncogenes in
these cells.
5.Carry out a survey to probe how many girls visit fast food
restaurants and consume french fries.

15. References
 August 2005 issue from: International Journal of Cancer. Professor Peter
Litcher, Germany.
 Internet source: www.webmd.com Cholesterol/Breast Cancer/French Fries
 Internet source: m.cancer.gov/es/cancer/hojas-informativas/terapia-
hormonal-seno Hormones Stimulation on Breast Cancer.
 Internet source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/c/cholesterol.htm
Science Daily: Medical Second Opinion
 Internet source:
http://www.fundacionfedna.org/ingredientes_para_piensos/grasas-de-
origen-animal Federation for the development of animal nutrition
(Recovered in 6-20-2014)

16.  The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1989 to J. Michael Bishop
and Harold E. Varmus for their discovery of "the cellular origin of
retroviral oncogenes".
 Wilbur, Beth, editor. The World of the Cell, Becker, W.M., et al., 7th ed.
San Francisco, CA; 2009.
 Yokota J (Mar 2000). "Tumor progression and metastasis“.
Carcinogenesis. 497–503. 10.1093/carcin/21.3.497. PMID 10688870.