Breast Cancer Prevention: 7 Things Every Woman Should Know

Due to its complicated nature, there is no guaranteed method of protection against breast cancer.

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We’ve known for many years that cigarette smoking has a role in lung and other cancers, but we’ve never been clear on what the role of smoking is in breast cancer.

However, a recent review by a Canadian panel of experts showed there is an increased risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women that can be caused by both active smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.

The panel cited evidence from studies suggesting that women who start smoking at a young age are 20 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. This figure rises to 30 percent for those who have smoked for many years.

2. Limit Your Alcohol Intake (Or Avoiding It Altogether)

Your risk of breast cancer can be greatly reduced by limiting alcohol intake or avoiding it altogether.

The American Cancer Society states that the risk of breast cancer increases the more a woman drinks. Women who indulge in two to five drinks a day increase their risk of contracting breast cancer by one and a half times.

3. Watch Your Diet

Avoid animal fats — instead use vegetable oils for cooking. Also, you should try to eat more lean proteins and grains as well as fruits and vegetables.

You can lower your risk of breast cancer by eating a healthful diet. On the flipside, an unhealthy diet can increase your risk.

4. Exercise

Despite the fact that estrogen is essential for many ordinary body functions, the risk of contracting breast cancer rises when estrogen exposure is increased. And by exercising, you can lower the levels of estrogen flowing through your body and therefore lower the risk of breast cancer.

When it comes to exercising to help slash your risk of break cancer, there’s no need for you to join the gym – All you need is to walk for 30 minutes 5 days a week. Doing so can help to reduce your risk of breast cancer by 15 to 25 percent!

5. Measure Your BMI

Breast cancer is only one of many harmful consequences of being overweight. Also, because breast cancer is often detected at a later stage in obese women, women in this group are more likely to die from it.

By maintaining a body mass index (BMI) lower than 25, you can greatly reduce your risk of breast cancer. And you can achieve your ideal BMI through eating a healthy diet and exercise.

6. Breastfeeding

It has been shown in a number of studies that the risk of breast cancer is reduced in women who breastfeed. The reason is because a breastfeeding woman produces higher levels of the hormone prolactin, which lowers the levels of estrogen.

According to an analysis of 47 studies in 30 countries, the longer a woman breastfeeds over a lifetime, the more protected she is against breast cancer.

7. Think About Medication

Studies have shown that tamoxifen lessens the risk of breast cancer by about 50 percent and raloxifene decreases the risk by about 38 percent in women who are at higher risk for the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

Both tamoxifen and raloxifene stop breast cells from being affected by estrogen.

Women who are over age 60 or who have a family history of breast cancer should consider taking one of these estrogen-blocking drugs. That said, however, you should always seek professional medical advice before taking any medication.

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