Things You Can Do To Prevent Breast Cancer

Cancer prevention involves taking preventive steps to reduce the scope of acquiring cancer. Cancer is not one ailment but a group of connected diseases. Hereditary factors, our genes, the environment, as well as lifestyle contribute to either augmenting or lowering our risk of becoming cancer prone. Every individual’s cancer risk constitutes a mix of these indicators. Evading the risk factors and raising protective factors can reduce the vulnerability but it does not indicate that you are safe from acquiring cancer. 

Breast cancer figures as the second most general kind of cancer among American women as it occurs more frequently than any kind of cancer excluding skin cancer.

Though certain factors are beyond one’s control, like for instance being born a woman and attaining old age. But different risk factors can be modified and can lower the risk of breast cancer development. 

Some of the possible ways to prevent breast cancer includes:

1. Maintain A Healthy Weight

An increase in body weight as well as weight augmentation in adulthood are associated with a greater breast cancer risk post menopause.  An advice from the American Cancer Society suggests that you maintain a healthy weight all across your lifespan and shun from gaining excessive weight by balancing physical activity with your food consumption. 

2. Remain Physically Active

Numerous researches have revealed that moderate to brisk physical activity is connected with lesser chances of developing breast cancer. This makes it important to indulge in consistent physical activity. As recommended by the American Cancer Society, activity of moderate intensity for approximately 150 – 300 minutes or degree of vigorous activity every week for 75 to 150 minutes. You can also carry out a combination of both extended likely all through the week. Achieving or surpassing the upper level of 300 minutes is perfect. 

Moderate activity involves doing anything that results in hard breathing, the way it happens during a vigorous walk. It results in a slight acceleration of breathing and heart rate. You can converse, but not able to sing during such activity. 

On the other hand, vigorous activities are carried out at a higher degree. They result in an elevated heart rate, perspiration, and a quicker rate of breathing. 

3. Abstaining From Things Likely To Cause Cancer

A healthy meal with high vegetable content, calcium abundant dairy products, and fruits and low in processed meats can be useful in lowering the chance of breast cancer. Though there is no active research done on the likely association between breast cancer danger and diet, but some studies have indicated that lowering fat consumption can be helpful in lowering the chances of breast cancer deaths. 

You also need to limit or avoid alcohol as it raises the scope of breast cancer. Expectedly, consumption of small quantities of alcohol continues to be a risk factor, the best option would be to abstain from it completely. For females, who like to have a sip, see to it that do not exceed one alcoholic drink daily. Do you know that a standard drink is equivalent to 12 ounces of normal beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits or hard liquor? 

As far as now, there is no compelling proof that consuming vitamins or any different kind of dietary supplement lowers the chances of breast cancer. For knowing more about the connections between physical regimen, body weight, alcohol intake, healthy diet, and the prospect of breast cancer along with other cancers, you can view the American Cancer Society Guidelines For Physical Activity and Diet for Cancer Prevention. 

4. Genetic Counselling

You should also go for genetic counselling breast cancer risk testing if not done previously. Almost 5% – 10% of breast cancer instances are considered to result from mutations or gene changes handed down from a parent and is hereditary.  If you are from a family having a breast cancer history, chances of acquiring it becomes pretty high. In such a case, you may want to converse with a physician about genetic counselling to find out if you need to be tested. 

A highly common factor that influences hereditary breast cancer is an inherited mutated version of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Any mutation of these genes tends to result in abnormal cell development which can cause cancer. 

5. Breastfeed Your Child

Women who opt for breastfeeding at least few months after childbirth receive an additional advantage of lowering their risk of breast cancer. Research has indicated that mothers practicing breastfeeding can lower their likelihood of pre- plus post-menopausal breast cancer. Wellness dieticians believe that breastfeeding for a period of more than 6 months can offer extra protection. During breastfeeding, women go through hormonal changes while lactating that delay their menstruation. This lowers female exposure to estrogen hormone which can boost breast cancer growth of cells.  

6. Try Non-Hormonal Alternatives to Take Care Of Menopausal Symptoms

Can hormone replacement therapy (HRT) restrain breast cancer? This is often the question posed by many women.  Going for hormone therapy post menopause can raise your chances of breast cancer. To evade it, discuss with your physician about non-hormonal alternatives to manage menopausal symptoms. Many kinds of HRT raise the chances of breast cancer. However, the risk is greater for those taking mixed HRT, which involves oestrogen as well as progestogen. 

A study found that women who received both estrogen and progestin had higher possibility of being pronounced with breast cancer compared to women who were given placebo. These women had larger cancer of the breast with greater chances of reaching the lymph nodes before it got diagnosed. The possibility of breast cancer remained higher for the duration during which the combined treatment was taken, but declined visibly when hormone usage was stopped.  

For women who do not want to go for hormone replacement and cannot, there exists nonhormonal alternatives for managing various menopause symptoms. Mostly, in few women, menopausal effects start to decrease by itself with the passage of time. Moreover, it is essential to discuss with your physician and think about referral to a specialist to take care of recurring symptoms. 

Wrapping Up

These were some of the risk factors that can be avoided to prevent breast cancer, but there are many that cannot such as inheriting some type of genes. While smoking can be stopped, you can continue with protective factors and increase it to minimize your risk, but it doesn’t indicated that you will not acquire cancer.