Gaining Ground in the Fight Against Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Awareness is the key to gaining ground in the fight against breast cancer. Awareness has opened the door to new treatment options and research leading to better ways of screening, diagnosing, and treating this deadly disease. Women are also surviving longer with breast cancer. In fact, 88% are still alive 5 years following diagnosis.
New information on breast cancer is arising all of the time. Here are 7 factors that could affect your risk for developing breast cancer:
- Weight gain - Significant weight gain during adulthood correlates strongly with the development of breast cancer after menopause. Try to enter menopause at a healthy weight.
- Activity level – Three to 4 hours of weekly may reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by 20% to 30%. Regular exercise helps you maintain a regular body weight. It can also influence the exposure of breast tissue to estrogen and impact insulin levels which have been both linked to breast cancer.
- Alcohol –Alcohol may raise estrogen levels and also may interact with the body’s ability to detoxify carcinogens. It also depletes the body of folic acid. Limit your use to one alcoholic beverage or less per day and make sure you get at least 400 mcg of folic acid per day.
- Vitamin D – It has been found that vitamin D may help protect against several types of cancer. Experts recommend 800 to 1000 IU of vitamin D per day. A multivitamin usually supplies 400 IU. You can add another 400 IU in a vitamin D supplement or calcium supplement that contains vitamin D.
- Medical risks – Oral contraceptives and postmenopausal hormone therapy may slightly increase breast cancer risk due to long-term exposure to estrogen. These therapies have risks as well as benefits, however, so discuss their use with your health care professional.
- Breast density – Women with dense breasts, or breasts that have less fat and more connective and glandular tissue, are at a higher risk for breast cancer. It is also harder to diagnose breast cancer in women with dense breasts because both tumors and dense tissue appear white on a mammogram.Digital mammography may be an option. Talk to your health care provider about options for you.
- Chemoprevention – Hormonal therapies, such as tamoxifen or faloxifene, help prevent the growth, spread, or recurrence of breast cancer by preventing estrogen from reaching tumors. Both of these drugs can have serious side effects, however, so weigh any consideration with your physician.