October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we want to do our part to help spread awareness because nearly a quarter of a million women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention also notes that more than 40,000 women and 500 men die each year as a result of complications related to breast cancer, so we feel it’s imperative that we share information about breast cancer prevention and treatment. In today’s blog, we share five tips for reducing your risk of developing breast cancer.
Lowering Your Breast Cancer Risk
Breast cancer is the most common cancer that is diagnosed in women, affecting roughly 1 in 8 women at some point in their life. However, if you make a few lifestyle adjustments and keep the following tips in mind, you may be able to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer:
-
Maintain An Ideal Weight – If you are overweight, you’ll naturally have more fat tissue. This fat tissue can increase your risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer as a result of rising estrogen levels. The American Cancer Society notes that obese or overweight women can greatly reduce their risk of breast cancer by losing 5-10 percent of their body weight. Losing just a little weight can go a long way in controlling your breast cancer risk.
-
Breastfeeding – We understand that breastfeeding is not possible for every new mother, but it truly is a wonderful process with many obvious and hidden benefits. One of those hidden benefits is that breastfeeding can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. The National Institutes of Health published a study that found that breast cancer risk is reduced by 4.3% for every 12 months of breastfeeding. This is just another reason why you should really consider breastfeeding your newborn if possible after giving birth.
-
Stay Active – Being active and getting regular exercise can help you live an overall healthier lifestyle, but it can also help reduce your risk of a number of different cancers, including breast cancer. Exercise can help you maintain an ideal weight, which we touched on above, but it can also reduce inflammation and improve your immune system, both of which impact your breast cancer risk.
-
Know Your Family History – It’s not uncommon for your doctor or your OBGYN to ask about your family history in regards to certain health issues. Learn about your family history so that you can let your provider know if you have relatives who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer is more common in individuals who have a history of the condition in their family, so while this knowledge won’t lower your risk of breast cancer, it can help you catch the condition sooner, which can make all the difference when it comes to treatment success.
-
Regular Screenings – Finally, make it a point to see your women’s care provider for your annual physical and to schedule any preventative screenings as recommended by your provider. The CDC currently recommends that women over the age of 50 receive a mammogram screening every two years, although if you have a family history of the condition, your physician may recommend that you start screening at 40. Talk with your care provider to determine when you should start screening for breast cancer or make it a point to schedule your next screening if you are overdo. Again, screening can help to catch breast cancer at an earlier stage when it is most treatable.
For more tips on how you can lower your breast cancer risk, or to talk with a women’s care provider about your next annual health screening, give the team at MetroPartners OBGYN a call today at (651) 770-3320.