October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, an estimated 42,170 women will die from breast cancer in the U.S. Although rare, men get breast cancer too. In 2020, an estimated 2,620 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the U.S. and approximately 520 will die. These numbers are frightening. How can you help minimize your chances of getting breast cancer?
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Here are five things you can do to help maintain breast health:
1. Know your risks
Prevention has to start with knowledge. Women at an increased risk of breast cancer should start screening earlier or be screened more frequently. You might be at an increased risk if you:
- Are overweight or obese or are not physically active
- Have mutations of BRCA-1, BRCA-2 or PALB-2 genes
- Have a family or personal history of breast, colorectal or ovarian cancer
- Began menstrual period before 12 or began menopause after 55
- Have never had children or had your first child after age 30
- Are currently using or have recently used birth control pills
- Have used hormone replacement therapy (with estrogen and progesterone) for more than 10 years
With the holidays coming up, take time to speak with relatives about your family's history of cancer. This is an easy step to take to learn about your cancer risk. Remember to ask about age of diagnosis—your risk increases if your mother was diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer before age 50.
2. Get screened now
If you do not already have an appointment, make one. Then reach out to every woman you know and remind them to have their annual mammogram also.
3. Check for lumps with monthly self-exams
If you find something, don't panic. Alternatively, call your doctor as soon as possible for a consultation.
4. Develop a regular exercise regimen
Evidence is growing that regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of breast cancer. Exercise helps keep your weight under control, which may also lower your risk.
5. Eat a well-rounded diet of whole foods
Eating a healthy diet is important as studies link a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy products to a reduced breast cancer risk.
6. Get some sleep
There is some evidence of a link between insufficient sleep and the risk of cancer. In particular, people with circadian rhythm disorders—in which the body’s biological clock is disrupted because of shift work, for example—may be at increased risk. A study in the International Journal of Cancer found a relationship between women’s irregular work schedules and the rate of breast cancer. Read more about this study here.
Taking these six simple steps can help you reduce your chances of being the one in eight women (or about 13 percent) who will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes.
If someone you know or love is fighting this disease, or if it's an issue you're passionate about, the American Cancer Society has identified five ways in which you can take on this vicious disease with all who are impacted. Check out the article here.
To read more about breast cancer, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
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