Think of eight women you know – your mom, your sister, your coworker, your best friend – the chance that one of them will develop breast cancer is uncomfortably real. Breast cancer is one of the deadliest diseases women today face, second only to lung cancer. In the year 2000 alone, more than 40,000 women were expected to succumb to this ruthless killer.
As frightening as these statistics are, there is still reason to be hopeful. There is a lot you can do to lower your breast cancer risk. Diet, exercise and regular clinical breast exams or mammograms are all vital cancer-busting steps that you can control. In addition, several dietary supplements have been shown to have anti-cancer properties. Keep reading to learn more about your secret weapons for optimum breast health.
The Shocking Breast Cancer Statistics
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed non-skin cancer in American women. This year, it is estimated that more than 200,000 women will receive the unsettling news that they have breast cancer. Most of these women will be over the age of 50, but younger women, and even men, are not immune to the disease.
In fact, numbers of breast cancer cases keep rising each year. Nobody is sure exactly why, but doctors believe that as women become more informed they are better able to detect the disease in its earlier, and more treatable, stages. Other factors that may be at work include: waiting longer to have children, being on hormone replacement therapy, and poor dietary and exercise habits.
Elevated risk of breast cancer is also associated with the following conditions:
- Having had a previous breast cancer.
- Laboratory evidence that the woman is carrying a specific genetic mutation, or change, which increases susceptibility to breast cancer.
- Having a mother, sister, or daughter with a history of breast cancer or having two or more close relatives, such as cousins, with a history of breast cancer.
- Having had a diagnosis of other types of breast disease (not cancer but a condition that may lead to cancer) or having had two or more breast biopsies for benign (non-cancerous) disease.
- Having so much dense breast tissue on a previous mammography that it was difficult for your doctor to make a clear reading.
As stated earlier, despite the grim statistics, there is still reason to be hopeful. Breast cancer isn’t necessarily a death sentence. Performing monthly breast self-exams and getting mammograms as often as your doctor recommends are two big steps you can take to maintain control over your breast health. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to making a full-recovery. Additionally, the medical community is constantly making breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Reading this booklet will empower you to take control of your breast health. There is so much you can do to ensure that you will stay healthy, so start today!
Your doctor will be able to evaluate your individual risk factors and determine when it is best for you to begin getting mammograms, or breast x-rays, and how often you should get them. Screening tools such as mammograms and clinical breast exams (a breast exam performed by your doctor) are two of your most powerful tools in combating this deadly disease. Mammograms are often able to detect breast lumps before you can feel or see them, when they are most treatable and least likely to have spread to other parts of your body.
A mammogram can also show small deposits of calcium in the breast. Although most calcium deposits are benign, a cluster of very tiny specks of calcium (called microcalcifications) may be an early sign of cancer.
If an area of the breast looks suspicious on the screening mammogram, additional (diagnostic) mammograms may be needed. Depending on the results, your doctor may advise you to have a biopsy. A biopsy is performed either surgically or with a needle in order to gather breast tissue for your doctor to study.
Although mammograms are the best way to find breast abnormalities early, they do have some limitations. A mammogram may miss some cancers that are present (false negative) or may find things that turn out not to be cancer (false positive). And detecting a tumor early does not guarantee that a woman’s life will be saved. Some fast-growing breast cancers may already have spread to other parts of the body before being detected.
Nevertheless, studies show that mammograms reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer. Most doctors recommend that women in their forties and older have mammograms regularly, every year or two.
It is important that breast cancer be detected as early as possible. When breast cancer is found early, a woman has more treatment choices and a good chance of a complete recovery. Regular breast self-exams (BSEs) familiarize a woman with her breasts. Since women learn what looks and feels normal for their breasts, they are more likely to notice a change. Any changes should immediately be reported to your doctor. Most breast lumps are not cancerous, but only a doctor can make that diagnosis.
When you perform a BSE you are looking for a lump or change that stands out as different from the rest of your breast tissue. If you discover a lump or other change in your breast, either during BSE or by chance, you should examine the other breast. If both breasts feel the same, the lumpiness is probably normal. As you become familiar with your breasts by doing monthly BSEs, you should be able to tell the difference between your normal lumpiness and what may be a change. Ask your doctor or health professional to teach you how to do a breast self-exam to make sure you are doing it correctly and thoroughly.
A breast self-exam is recommended every month a few days after your period ends. During this time, your breasts are less tender or swollen. It is important to do your BSE at the same time during your menstrual cycle. Doing so creates a baseline from which to judge abnormalities, and it helps you form a regular habit of examining your breasts.
Every day new research emerges proving the health benefits of taking dietary supplements. These benefits can also extend to protecting your breasts. Scientific studies have found that certain dietary supplements, along with a healthy diet and lifestyle, may help to ward off breast cancer. These supplements include:
has been shown in animal studies to help the body fight off cancerous cells, especially those involved in the development of breast cancer.
contains high levels of substances called polyphenols, known to possess strong antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Polyphenols are also present in red wine and olive oil. As potent antioxidants, they help neutralize disease-causing free radicals – cell-damaging molecules that occur naturally in the body and are linked to heart disease, aging and cancer. In addition to breast cancer, regular consumption of green tea may also reduce the risk of cancer of the stomach, lung, colon, rectum, liver and pancreas, study findings have suggested.
may help protect postmenopausal women from breast cancer. Flaxseeds also contain the richest source of lignans (soluble and insoluble fiber found in the center of the seed) in nature, at 100 times the density of other sources such as wheat, oats and barley. Lignan is a powerful phytoestrogen, which is thought to prevent estrogen overproduction. Doctors believe that too much estrogen can increase your risk for the development of breast cancer.
Your diet can also play a major role in the health of your breasts. You know that you should limit your intake of fatty and sugary foods for overall health. But did you know that certain foods can actually protect your breasts? It’s true!
- A joint study by New York University and the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, has found that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers from the University of California have also pointed to cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts as major cancer busters. So help yourself to those veggies!
- There is also strong evidence that DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), essential fatty acids can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. DHA is a component of fish oil. It is rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, substances that are as important to the body as vitamins and minerals. DHA, along with EPA, is found in the oils of cold-water fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines. If you don’t care for seafood, DHA and EPA are also available in dietary supplement form.
- In certain Asian cultures where foods containing soy are regularly consumed, women’s chances of developing breast cancer are drastically lower than in their peers eating a Western-style diet. Scientists believe that soy delivers phytoestrogens to the body, lowering a woman’s breast cancer risk while at the same time reducing menopause symptoms and helping to strengthen bones.
- A diet high in fiber may also help to combat breast cancer, according to scientists. Research has shown that fiber-rich diets may help to keep estrogen levels down by not allowing it to be absorbed by your body.
- Ingredients in tangerines may help stall the growth of breast cancer cells, according to researchers. They found that the combination of tangetretin and nobiletin, flavonoids in tangerine, were up to 250 times more potent at inhibiting cancer growth than genistein, a substance found in soy-based foods that has shown preventive effects against breast cancer.
In addition to eating a healthy diet, rich in the nutrients mentioned above, and taking high-quality dietary supplements, there are other simple steps you can take to reduce your breast cancer risk. They include:
Smoking cigarettes is a deadly habit that you should break right away. Not only does it damage lungs, it also is a major risk factor for breast cancer.
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce estrogen levels. It’s not necessary to run a marathon, either. Benefits can be obtained with moderate levels of physical activity such as walking or gardening.
Research has found a link between consumption of sugary foods and breast cancer. So skip that candy bar and help yourself to a piece of fruit instead.
Breast cancer is a serious disease. You should see your doctor regularly and get a mammogram and clinical breast exam as often as she recommends. You can also protect yourself by following the guidelines in this article. Eat right, exercise and take your supplements, and you will be utilizing your most important secret weapons against breast cancer.
