Do you have a question about your health or about health in general that you’re either too embarrassed to ask your physician about or that you simply never getting around to getting an answer to?You’ll now have the opportunity to have the issue answered by a specialist in the area from Johns Hopkins Medical Centre.The renowned Baltimore, Maryland institution has teamed up with Body & Soul to provide this service to the Bermuda community.Each month one of your questions, along with the answer from a Johns Hopkins physician, will be featured in Body & Soul. Submit your questions to gazettehealth@yahoo.com.This month Kala Visvanathan, MD, MHS, associate professor of oncology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins’ Kimmel Cancer Center and Bloomberg School of Public Health answered your query on whether there’s a link between big breasts, obesity and breast cancer.Q: I am overweight, some might say obese. Does this put me at a greater risk for getting breast cancer even if my breasts are only a B cup? Is there any correlation between breast size and breast cancer risk?A: For a number of years, researchers have been studying the relationship between obesity and breast cancer, and finding a consistent link between them, particularly in post-menopausal women.But no direct correlation has been found between breast size and increased risk of breast cancer, except when breast size increases are directly tied to obesity.It is important to note that weight loss, combined with physical activity that can be as simple as walking for 30 minutes every day, can help lower the risk of getting breast cancer.Have your body mass index measured, and, if the result is beyond the healthy range, consult with your physician about ways to incorporate physical activity and healthier eating habits into your daily routine.Two helpful websites are http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/ and www.heart.org.Researchers at Johns Hopkins are studying the link between obesity and the development of breast cancer and its progression in experimental animals and in women.Some of these studies focus on identifying biological markers that may help physicians understand why obese women are at a greater risk for breast cancer than those who are not.They also are searching for markers that could be used in conjunction with standard therapies.When women consider breast cancer risk, it is important for them to evaluate which contributing factors can be modified.Family history is a very strong risk factor, and if you have someone in your immediate family (a mother or sister, for example) with breast cancer, especially early-onset breast cancer, or ovarian cancer, or you have a personal history of early-onset breast cancer, it may be wise to visit a high-risk breast cancer clinic that offers services similar to those found at Johns Hopkins: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/centers/clinical_cancer_genetics/Keep in mind, however, that only 20 percent of breast cancers are associated with family history.Other modifiable factors that put a person at greater risk for breast cancer include some types of hormone replacement therapy, lack of physical activity, alcohol consumption and, as noted above, obesity.Interestingly, all these risk factors are associated with other cancers, as well as chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease.By working to control them, you may not only reduce your risk of getting breast cancer, but also improve your overall health.