Breast Cancer

Your Prevention Plan

The fact is that cancer causes an estimated 500,000 deaths per year and there is rarely any good news about the disease.

But there was reason for optimism when the American Cancer Society (ACS) released a report in June 2005 stating that at least half of all cancer related deaths could have been prevented with various lifestyle changes and the better use of screening tools.

This is especially true of breast cancer, which has been the subject of extensive research looking at links between diet and the disease.

And yet more good news:

The anti-breast cancer lifestyle outlined below also reduces your risk of nearly every major illness, including diabetes and heart disease.

To us this is great news as Marilyn does have a history within her family.

Read along and discover how you too can get started on your Prevention plan:

Start by eating an Anti-Cancer Diet.

We know it seems as if there's a new report almost weekly linking risk reduction for various cancers with specific foods, from broccoli to blueberries.

See; Super Natural Foods

As cream rises to the top, so does the most important diet-related precaution;

Overweight and obesity are two of the leading contributors to cancer and related deaths.

Are you at a healthy weight?

If need be, take steps to lose the extra pounds.

While grocery shopping, try to adhere to the following in making your best prevention choices:

We can't stress enough the importance of favoring these foods as we discuss continually throughout this site:

Olive oils

Your most beneficial fats come from olives, nuts, and other monounsaturated sources.

A Swedish study reports that "bad" polyunsaturated fats increase breast-cancer risk.

See; Olive Oil - What you didn't know

Leafy greens

Fill your salad bowl with the darkest-green greens, which contain folate, a B vitamin linked to the reduction of breast cancer risk.

See; Super Salads

Soy

Science is studying how compounds derived from soy and soy products, called soy isoflavones, may interfere with estrogen's cancer-causing effects.

Enjoy soy in tofu, smoothies made with soy protein powder, soy milk, and soy-based yogurt.

See; Peach Mango Smoothie

Dairy products - rich in calcium

Consuming two or three servings of dairy products daily is linked to lowering your risk, according to ACS research that studied post-menopausal women.

The same reduction was not seen among women who took calcium supplements.

***Note*** that low-fat dairy is a better choice than full-fat.

(see "Consume in Moderation," below).

Legumes

Consuming several servings a week of beans and lentils, which of course contain flavonols, appears to lower the risk of this cancer, according to research conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Consume in moderation, or avoid completely:

Animal fats

Studies involving both pre and post-menopausal women showed significant reductions in breast cancer incidence among women whose diets were not heavy in animal sources of fat.

This would include dairy, butter and red meats.

Alcohol

Absolutely forget the reported heart healthy benefits of red wine.

With regard to breast cancer, consuming roughly two drinks a day, increases incidence by a whopping 80%.

This according to a study conducted by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

A well-regarded American Cancer Society study found that even an average of one drink a day or less increased a post-menopausal woman's chances of dying from this disease by 30% compared to women who did not consume any alcohol at all.

Also it does not appear that the type of alcohol consumed makes any difference, with beer, wine, and liquor all producing the same increase.

Healthy Habits - Adopt them.

Cease smoking!

In this regard the medical community is unanimous: Quit smoking, plus eliminate your exposure to secondhand smoke.

Giddy-up and Exercise

We all know that exercise is an important factor in maintaining a healthy weight.

Maintaining a healthy weight in turn helps lower breast cancer risk.

Fatty tissues produce hormones and growth factors, such as estrogen and insulin, which may promote cancer development.

More specifically though, research has found a link between even moderate exercise and breast cancer risk reduction.

As an example, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle reported a 20% decrease among postmenopausal women who favored consistency in exercise over intensity, ie, taking a brisk, 30-minute walk 5 days a week.

This research also suggests that the less a woman weighs, the more the exercise appeared to have a protective effect.

Women of low to normal weight and even those who were moderately overweight, who walked 10 hours each week experienced breast cancer risk reductions of more than 30%.

The caveat:

Breast cancer risk did not decrease among exercisers who were significantly overweight or obese.

See; Weight Loss

Breast Self-Exams (BSEs)

True, there's debate over the impact of BSEs on survival rates.

The bottom line though is that BSEs are easy to do, free of charge, and can help women detect cancer at an early stage, which is when the disease responds more favorably to treatment.

The ACS recommends monthly BSEs for every woman over the age of 20.

Be Smart in your health care decisions

Many of the decisions you make regarding your breast health, such as when to start a schedule of annual mammograms, should take into account your family history of breast cancer.

So should some of your other decisions regarding your health, such as how to treat symptoms of menopause, as an example.

Clearly, it's important to gather as much information as possible about any relatives who have had the disease, on both your mother's and father's side.

The National Cancer Institute agrees and has created a terrific online assessment to help you determine your personal breast cancer risk at cancer.gov/bcrisktool.

Share these results with your doctor and be sure you take them into account when you discuss the following health care options and issues.

Annual mammograms and other exams

You probably know the American Cancer Society recommends a yearly mammogram for women ages 40 and older along with an annual clinical exam conducted by a health care practitioner, which is more thorough than the breast self-exam done at home.

Are you at high risk for breast cancer?

It's possible your doctor may advise you start getting annual mammograms right away, even if you're under 40.

High-risk women sometimes undergo an MRI along with the annual mammogram to allow for a more complete image of the breast tissue.

Consult your doctor about this option.

Gene testing

It is possible to inherit gene mutations that increase your risk of developing this type of cancer.

Over the past decade, researchers have identified two such gene mutations: BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Genetic testing is now available for these mutations and it's usually recommended for those women who have a strong family history of the disease.

Your GP can put you in contact with a genetic counselor who'll talk with you about the test and the impact its results can have on your life and your family (who, if the results were positive, could also consider the testing themselves).

Menopausal Symptoms and Therapy Relief

Sometimes called hormone replacement therapies (HRT), certain hormone-based drugs appear to elevate breast cancer risk, especially estrogen when used in tandem with progestin, according to the large Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study.

Recently, WHI research reported that 7 years after a trial study looking into the effects of estrogen alone therapy for postmenopausal women who had had prior hysterectomies, estrogen alone therapy did not appear to increase the risk but it did elevate the incidence of stroke and blood clots among study subjects.

Bottom line is this:

If you are considering medication to relieve hot flashes and other menopause symptoms, talk to your doctor about your breast cancer risks and cardiovascular health.

For more information on Breast Cancer, see links below;

Breast Cancer Cure Secrets

Newsletter
Cancer ~ Return

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