Beat the Odds of Breast Cancer

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Did you know that approximately one in eight women are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer? In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there is no better time to refresh yourself on how to take care of your body and reduce your risk for breast cancer.

Watch what you eat. Research shows that women with a high saturated fat and trans fat diet increase their risk of developing breast cancer.  You can reduce fat intake by being mindful of what types of food you consume in your diet. Healthy fats like omega-3 are essential to a balanced diet, but you should avoid eating foods with trans fats and limit saturated fat.

The American Heart Association recommends lowering saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of total calories and less than seven percent if cholesterol levels are elevated. There is no healthy amount of trans fats so try to keep them as far from your plate as possible.

Limiting your alcohol consumption can also reduce your chances of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that women only have one drink a day. A recent a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that consuming three to six glasses of wine a week can slightly increase your risk.

Get moving. A recent study at The Cooper Institute shows that people who are fit at midlife have fewer chronic diseases, such as certain cancers, in later life. This is just one of many reasons to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Recent studies have also shown that not only can you improve your quality and quantity of life through fitness, but you can also reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.

Brush up on your monthly self-examinations. Beginning at age 20, it is important to examine your breasts on a monthly basis. The best time to perform a self-examination is one week after your menstrual cycle. Breasts can be tender and difficult to exam if you inspect before or during your cycle.

There is a common confusion among many women on how to properly examine yourself. It can be hard to understand the texture of your breasts and to know exactly what you are feeling. Try these two simple methods to examine your breasts:

1. Lie down on your back and lift one arm above your head. This will flatten out your breasts, so you can check for lumps or hard knots as you move your fingers over your breast. Perform this process on both breasts.
2. When you are shower, raise one arm over your head and use the opposite hand to inspect your breast. The water allows for your fingers to easily glide over your breast to feel for any abnormalities. Repeat this technique on the opposite breast as well.

If you experience any lumps, focal tenderness, redness, nipple discharge, skin puckering or a rash you should address this problem with your physician immediately, regardless of your age.

You can consult your doctor and ask for further instruction if you are unsure on how to properly examine your breasts. Many clinics often have prosthetic breast models with hidden lumps, so you can learn the texture of breasts and what a lump typically feels like.

Know your family history. Many women who visit the doctor for their yearly exam do not have any knowledge on their family history. It is vital to know if any of your relatives have a history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer. Be sure to know the answer to the following questions:

1. Who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or/and ovarian cancer in your family? Were they your maternal or paternal relatives?
Your family history of breast cancer plays a significant role in knowing whether you are at risk to develop breast cancer. Research has shown that there seems to be a more significant link to hereditary breast cancer on the maternal side of your family. If there is a history of breast cancer on the paternal side of your family, there is still a slightly lower risk for you.
 
While male breast cancer is fairly uncommon, it is crucial to know if any male in your family has had this type of cancer. There is a strong link to hereditary breast cancer in males, so be sure to talk to your family to learn more about the cancer history of your relatives.

If there are two or more relatives diagnosed with ovarian cancer, there is an increased risk of having the BRCA gene mutation. However, this affects less than two percent of women in the general population.

2. What was the age of their diagnosis?
Another key factor to know is whether the breast cancer was diagnosed pre or post-menopausal.  The majority of breast cancer is diagnosed after age 60 in the post-menopausal stage of your life. The older you get the higher chance you have of developing breast cancer.

Women with the inherited form of breast cancer account for less than ten percent of the diagnosed population. If one of your family members was diagnosed with pre-menopausal breast cancer (before age 50), you may carry a higher potential to develop hereditary breast cancer.

Schedule a yearly mammogram. If you do not have a family history of breast cancer, Cooper Clinic recommends scheduling your first baseline mammogram between ages 35 and 39. Screening mammograms should begin at age 40 and yearly thereafter to detect early breast cancer.

As part of your routine medical maintenance, you should schedule a yearly breast exam by a physician regardless of your age.

To learn more about Cooper Clinic breast health and prevention, click here or call 972.560.2667.
 

Article provided by Cooper Aerobics Marketing and Communications.