How Breast Cancer Risk Factors and Prevention

How Breast Cancer Risk Factors and Prevention

American women are most likely to develop breast cancer. In the United States, breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women, after lung cancer. World Cancer Day was established with the explicit intention of raising awareness of the disease and empowering those battling it. Let's see what's true and what's not about breast cancer, even though 

Awareness of Breast Cancer: Fiction versus

Fact Fiction: You can't do anything to lower your breast cancer risk factors. Anything that increases your likelihood of contracting a disease is a risk factor; however, this does not guarantee that you will contract the disease. While some women with no apparent risk factors develop breast cancer, others with one or more risk factors do so. While some risk factors, like your age or race, cannot be changed, others, like your lifestyle (diet, physical activity, alcohol use), can.

Fact: Breast cancer is more common in women than in men.

Because men have lower levels of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone—both of which can help breast cancer cells grow—women are more likely than men to develop the disease.

Fiction: As you get older, your risk of developing breast cancer goes down.  Your risk of developing breast cancer goes up with age. About one in eight 55-year-old women.

Fact: Cancer risk is heavily influenced by your genetics. It is believed that hereditary factors account for 5-10% of breast cancer cases. Gene defects (mutations) inherited from a parent are the cause of these cases. Your risk is increased if a blood relative has breast cancer. Your risk of developing breast cancer doubles if you have a mother, sister, or daughter, while your risk of developing breast cancer triples if you have a grandmother, granddaughter, aunt, or niece. A woman who has cancer in one breast has a three-to-fourfold increased risk of developing new cancer in the other breast or a different area of the same breast.

Fact: Maternal age or not having children can affect your breast cancer risk. Women who don’t have children or had their first child after the age of 30 have a slightly higher risk of getting breast cancer. Women who have had multiple pregnancies and became pregnant at a young age, however, are at lower risk. Pregnancy reduces a woman’s total number of lifetime menstrual periods, which may be the reason for this effect. In addition, some studies suggest that breastfeeding may slightly reduce breast cancer risk.

Changes to Your Diet Can Lower Your Risk of Breast Cancer, even though some risk factors are beyond our control, Robin Amylon, a Certified Nutritionist and Dietician, says that changing your diet can lower your risk of cancer. According to Amazon, "being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing breast cancer."One of the most important things you can do to lower your risk is to maintain a healthy weight. Cancer risk is also influenced by where extra weight is stored. If you have extra fat in your midsection, you are more likely to get cancer and other diseases like diabetes and heart disease. To combat obesity and lower your risk of breast cancer, she suggests engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day. Breast cancer prevention can be aided by any form of exercise. She also encourages women to limit their intake of energy-dense foods and processed foods and to avoid sugary beverages.

Simply stated: Keep it spotless! She asserts Sugary drinks like soda, fruit punch, sweetened iced tea, and juice can add calories without any other nutritional value and cause unwanted weight gain. Eat nutrient-dense foods that are low in calories but very high in macro and micronutrients, and drink a lot of water. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, nuts, and seeds are all examples of nutrient-dense foods. When you eat foods as closely as possible to how they are found in nature, you will eat more nutrient-dense foods and less energy-dense foods. Additionally, excess salt intake and salt-preserved foods have been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Amazon advises cutting back on red meats like beef, pork, and lamb and avoiding processed meats. Meats that have been preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or adding preservatives are referred to as processed meat. Ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs, and sausages are examples. To prevent the growth of bacteria, processed meats contain sodium nitrite. These methods of preservation might add substances that can make it more likely that these foods will cause cancer. Amazon also advises against taking cancer-fighting supplements. She asserts, "It is always best to get all the nutrients you need from real food."Whole foods contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, fiber, and other nutrients that work together to safeguard your health and prevent disease.