How to Outsmart Breast Cancer: Ways to Decrease Your Risk

Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that starts from the cells of the breast. Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, affecting more than 211,000 women and 1,700 men each year. Scientists are currently studying breast cancer to try to find out the causes as well as better ways to prevent, find, and treat it. Some common symptoms of breast cancer include changes in the color, size, and shape of your breast or nipples, discharge from the nipples, inverted nipples, or feeling abnormal lumps in the breast. There is often no pain in the first stages of breast cancer which is why it's important to regularly perform self breast exams at home. In order to catch potential signs of cancer, it's important to know how your breast tissue normally feels. The self breast exam is fairly simple to perform, but if you're unsure of how to do it, your OB-GYN can demonstrate the proper way to perform this exam during one of your visits.

While Caucasian women are diagnosed with breast cancer more often than their African American counterparts, African American women have the highest death rate from breast cancer than any other racial and ethnic group in this country. But regardless of your ethnic or racial background, early detection is the key to improving your odds of beating the disease or decreasing your risks of getting it altogether. This is true even if you are genetically predisposed to getting breast cancer. By taking the following steps, you can help protect your breast from this disease that affects the lives of many everyday:

Step One--Eat Well. I'm sure everyone hears that eating a well balanced diet containing adequate servings of fruits and vegetables can help protect them from many illnesses and diseases. Well this is true for breast cancer too. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals which perform specific anticancer functions. Phytochemicals are found in plants such the leafy green vegetables that we should eat on a regular basis--broccoli, collard greens, and other cruciferous vegetables. These vegetables are a source of indole-3 carbinol, which is a phytochemical that inhibits breast cancer growth. Another anticancer food is a spice called tumeric. This antioxidant is found in curry and can also be taken in the form of a supplement. Tumeric helps to prevent cell damage that may lead to cancer.

Step Two--Start exercising. Exercise can be something as simple as walking on a regular basis and can decrease your risk of breast cancer. According to the American Medical Association, of nearly 3,000 women they studied, those who exercised moderately by walking three to five hours per week cut their breast cancer risk in half. Exercise boosts your immune function and decreases the amount of bad estrogen your body produces. This bad estrogen causes breast cells to grow and divide at a faster speed which increases the chance that a cancer mutation will occur in these cells. If walking isn't already a regular part of your exercise routine, it would be beneficial if you started walking at least three to four times a week for about a half an hour to an hour each time. Aerobic exercise is also a good way to get your body into shape.

Step Three--Watch Your Weight. Excess pounds as a result of being obese or overweight can increase your risk for breast cancer. This is particularly true after menopause. It's believed that excess fat in the body generates estrogen, which again can cause breast cells to grow at a more rapid rate. In order to find a healthy body weight for your frame you should calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) which is measured based on your height and weight. You should also ask your doctor to calculate what percentage of your weight is body fat. Body fat should not be greater than twenty eight percent in women. If your body fat is greater than twenty eight percent, it'll put you at a higher risk for developing health problems.

Step Four--Eliminate the alcoholic beverages. While some say it is beneficial to drink at least one alcoholic beverage a day, research has shown that by doing so you can raise your risk of developing breast cancer by twenty percent. Again, it goes back to the hormones. Alcohol increases the amount of estrogen your body produces. It also increases a hormone called prolactin which increases the speed of cell division in the breast. The National Cancer Institute doesn't recommend consuming more than one alcoholic drink per day.

Step Five--Eliminate smoking. If you're a cigarette smoker, it would be a good idea to stop. While most people associate cigarette smoke to lung cancer, cigarette smoke also threatens your breast health. If a woman picks up the habit of smoking early on in life, like in her teen years, her risk for getting breast cancer increases by fifty percent. Second hand smoke also contributes to breast cancer. This is due to a combination of higher estrogen levels mixed with the carcinogens found in the cigarettes. Carcinogens are defined as cancer causing substances or agents. Although it may not always be easy to avoid secondhand smoke, you should definitely try. And if you're a smoker, it would be a good idea to quit, not only for your breast health, but for your overall health in general.

Step Six--Get regular check-ups. This step could've also been number one. It is important that you get regular physical check-ups and report any abnormalties or findings to your doctor. Women should have their first mammogram between the ages of 35-40, unless you have a family history of breast cancer, in which case your doctor may recommend you start having mammograms at around age 30.

Remember ladies (and gentlemen), being diagnosed with breast cancer doesn't mean the end of your life. The earlier it is caught, the greater the chances for successful treatment. There are many people living today who have survived this disease. Stay on top of your health and don't be afriad to discuss any and all concerns you may have with your doctor, no matter how minor they may seem to you. Help protect your breasts.

Sources:
American Medical Association
National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.gov