How to prevent breast cancer

Breast cancer has become a growing concern, especially for women around the world. There are more and more campaigns to increase awareness in women and invite them to perform breast self-examination on a regular basis, which undoubtedly helps to detect many cases of breast cancer in its initial stage, however, this is not enough. And it is as with any other type of cancer, some changes in our habits are necessary to reduce the risk of suffering from this disease. That’s why in this article we give you some keys so you can discover how to prevent breast cancer and maintain your health.

Steps to follow:

Step: 1

There are several risk factors that can lead to breast cancer. The people most prone to this disease are:

• Women, especially those over 45
• Those who have a case of breast cancer in first-degree relatives (mother, father, sister), since it has been discovered that genetic propensity is an important factor in this disease
• Those women who have dense breast tissue
• Women with a history of alcoholism, smokers, who are overweight or who lead a sedentary life have a higher risk of breast cancer

Step: 2

There are many studies and investigations that have shown that a little moderate exercise a day, for example, a half-hour walk, can effectively help us prevent breast cancer as well as heart disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis.

Those women who practice more intense physical activities can reduce their chances of breast cancer by up to 25%.

Step: 3

It is no secret to anyone that our eating habits directly influence our health. That is why eating a balanced diet that allows us to maintain a healthy weight is essential to prevent breast cancer.

High-fat diets with a large intake of junk food not only harm our health but can also make us overweight, increasing the risk of breast cancer. Including foods rich in antioxidants and foods typical of the Mediterranean diet in our daily diet will greatly help prevent this disease.

Step: 4

Taking care of our weight is also a fundamental aspect to prevent breast cancer. It is not about having a model figure, but simply about maintaining a healthy weight according to our age and height, especially in the postmenopausal stage, when the risk of breast cancer increases.

Step: 5

Although unlike other cancers, such as lung, throat, tongue, or larynx, in the case of breast cancer a direct and close relationship between smoking and this disease has not been shown. However, tobacco is clearly harmful to health, increasing the production of free radicals, so putting it aside could significantly benefit health by helping us prevent breast cancer.

This same recommendation applies to those women who consume alcohol abundantly and frequently.

Step:6

A much more drastic way to prevent breast cancer, which has already been applied by personalities such as the actress Angelina Jolie or the singer Anastasia, is the double mastectomy. This highly invasive alternative has become an option for those women who have a high percentage of developing the disease due to the presence of the BRCA 1 gene.

Mastectomy drastically reduces the chances of suffering from breast cancer, which in Jolie’s case went from 87% to just 5%. However, before making this decision, the woman must have cases of breast cancer in direct relatives and undergo an expensive study to determine if she has the BRCA 1 gene.

Step:7

Another alternative for women with a high possibility of suffering from breast cancer is the removal of the ovaries once the fertile stage is over or when the woman decides not to want to be a mother. This intervention has been shown to have a positive effect in helping to prevent breast cancer and reducing the chances in women with a strong family history.

However, several studies and previous evaluations are required to carry out this intervention.

Step: 8

The United Kingdom has recently become the first country in Europe to authorize the sale of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene, a drug that could help prevent up to 50% of cases of breast cancer in healthy but high-risk women, such as those with cases of this condition in direct relatives.

These drugs, which are already used in women who have suffered from this disease to prevent relapses, are now part of preventive treatment for the disease that could soon be applied in Spain and other European countries, becoming an alternative for the population at risk.

Step: 9

In this article, we also want to remind you of the importance of performing a regular breast self-examination in order to detect any anomaly, because the earlier breast cancer is detected, the better the chances of recovery.

This article is merely informative, in this article we do not have the power to prescribe any medical treatment or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to go to a doctor in the event of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

About Post Author

Abraham Walker

Abraham@cyonwo.com