How to lower your risk of breast cancer

With all of the seemingly constant news about breast cancer, it can be difficult to determine what you should really know. Each year hundreds of thousands of women in the United States are given the devastating news that they have this type of cancer. About 20% of them will eventually die from it. While these statistics are sobering, the good news is that while there is not way to guarantee that you won't get it, you can lower your risk of developing breast cancer. If you take the time to educate yourself, and you change or focus on certain factors in your lifestyle, you are much more likely to lower your risk of ever getting breast cancer.

The first step is to clearly understand what the risk factors are. Some of these factors you may have been born with, however, there are other risk factors that you determine. This can also be helpful, because if you know your risk, along with health background, you and your health care professional, can make the decisions that will help to lower your risk. If you take the time to make the best choices possible about in terms of your health care and your lifestyle choices, you can have a significant impact, on your overall risk of developing breast cancer. It should be noted that there are several risk assessment sites that are available on the web. However, they should never be used in place of a consultation with your health care professional.

The first step is to understand that the breast cancer risk factors that are out of your control. These factors are:

• Gender-While men are not totally immune to breast cancer, (they make up about 3% of breast cancer patients); the disease is the most risk to women.


• Genes-If you have a family history of breast cancer, your risk will increase exponentially depending on how close the family member who had breast cancer was, in relation to you. For example: The risk is higher if your mother is a breast cancer survivor versus a cousin.


• Age-Breast cancer is no respecter of age. While younger women are not totally immune to getting breast cancer, your risk for developing it, increases as you age.


• Menopausal status-Menopause increases the risk of developing breast cancer.


• Drugs and treatments-Certain drugs and medical treatments can leave you with increased risk. This should be discussed with your health care professional.


• Menses onset-The earlier you began menstruating, the lower your overall risk of breast cancer.


• Family Health History-Even if no one in your family has ever had breast cancer, if you come from a family who has had several different types of cancer; you are at increased risk, for developing breast cancer.


• Next it is important to understand that there are risk factors that you can control. These lifestyle factors can help you reduce your risk of ever getting breast cancer. These factors are:


• Pregnancy-Having at 2 pregnancies before the age of 30 can help decrease your risk.


• Breastfeeding-It was found that women who breastfeed have a lower rate of breast cancer, though researcher are still at a loss as to fully explain this.


• Hormone Replacement Therapy use-It is recommended that women use as little hormone replacement therapy as possible. There has been a direct link made between high doses of hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer.


• Alcohol-Studies have shown that women who drink little or no alcohol have the lowest rates of breast cancer.


• Smoking-If you smoke, stop and if you don't smoke, don't start.


• Diet-While there is no connection between a high fat diet and breast cancer. Eating a low fat, healthy diet will improve your overall health.


• Exercise-Studies have shown that women who regularly exercise have the lowest rate of breast cancer.


• Weight-Maintaining a healthy weight is important since excess weight stores estrogen which can contribute to the development of breast cancer.