Breast Cancer Awareness Month: 4 Lifestyle Changes Preventing Breast Cancer

What lifestyle changes can help in the prevention of Breast Cancer?

In this breast cancer awareness month, let's talk about preventing the most common cancer in women worldwide: breast cancer. As with any other issues we face, health-wise or others, "Prevention is better than Cure". The same is true with breast cancer. Lifestyle affects every aspect of our day-to-day functions and long-term health. Therefore, one can follow various preventive strategies daily to help keep cancer, especially breast cancer, at bay. Dr Anu Joseph, Senior Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynecology & Fetal medicine, Kauvery Hospital, Electronic City, Bengaluru, explores a few of them.

1. Maintain a healthy weight: A healthy weight, concerning one's genetics, height, and body composition, can reduce the risk of various diseases, including breast cancer. Weight reduction strategies, however, should be scientific and shouldn't result in malnutrition. Therefore, the plan is never to have a drastic weight loss. Instead, work with dietary changes and exercise together.
2. Daily moderate physical activity: 15-45 minutes helps maintain good body metabolism and high endorphin levels. Adding a weekly dose of strength training helps to make sure the balance is maintained. If needed, you can always seek help from a trainer.
3. Limit alcohol intake and smoking: alcohol intake is directly proportional to the risk of developing breast cancer. Therefore, it is advisable to keep the information as minimal as possible. Smoking similarly increases the risk with increasing duration of use.
4. Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding has a protective effect concerning preventing breast cancer. In addition, women who have breastfed longer are at lower risk, scientifically, of developing breast cancer.

Hormone Use And Breast Cancer

1. Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptive pills for prolonged duration increase breast cancer risk. However, it doesn't mean one should not use these very effective medicines in the conditions which necessitate them.
2. For example, women with severe postmenopausal symptoms should be prescribed hormone replacement, not subsiding with non-hormonal methods. Also, women who want contraception and have no other alternative should be prescribed oral contraceptives.
3. Though present, the risk is minimal and remains negated after the medications are stopped. Therefore, do not be afraid if you need to take any of the above remedies.
4. Ask the physician about the pros and cons and choose wisely. Just as important is prevention, similar, or rather more critical, are ways of early detection. But, again, the methods are effortless and something all women should follow.

Self-Breast Examination

All women above the age of 30 years and those with a higher risk of breast cancer should be taught to have a monthly self-breast examination, where one can detect any changes from normal and alert the ObGyn for further evaluation. This should be added to yearly inspections by your family physician or ObGyn. In addition, any women with positive findings on examination should be followed up with breast scans or mammograms as per their age.

Breast cancer, like most cancers, if detected early, can be cured with available treatment methods. However, a delayed diagnosis generally has a poor outcome. Therefore, awareness about a potentially treatable killer disease should be encouraged and propagated.