Prevention and Detection: Key ways to reduce breast cancer risk

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, but despite the growing awareness of heritable breast cancer linked to the BRCA 1 and BRCA 1 genes, the majority of breast cancer cases aren’t inherited – and that’s good news. Decoupling direct genetic transmission from an increased risk of breast cancer means that you have more control over your risk factors, and the ability to reduce your individual risk. By adopting these 4 healthy habits, you can decrease your chances of developing breast cancer and, in the event you do develop cancer, increase your odds survival by detecting it early.

Watch Your Diet

As with most health conditions, one major breast cancer risk factor is consuming an unhealthy diet, and your odds of developing breast cancer also increase if you’re overweight. With this in mind, make consuming a healthy diet a top priority. That means getting plenty of fruits and vegetables, meeting all your macro- and micronutrient needs, and limiting your consumption of saturated fat and sugar. Add in some exercise and you have the foundations of a healthy lifestyle.

Know Your Body

During your annual exam, your doctor will likely ask if you perform regular breast self-exams, and may also offer to perform one or teach you how to do so. Make sure to master this process because you are the front lines in early cancer detection. When you know your body, you can more quickly identify concerns like unusual discharge, skin changes, or lumps that could indicate cancer. As for mammograms, women at an average risk of breast cancer should receive an annual mammogram beginning at age 40, with those at high risk beginning these screenings sooner. 

Don’t Drink Or Smoke

As noted above, a healthy diet is an important part of reducing your breast cancer risk, but what you avoid taking into your body is as important as what you do choose to put in. In particular, you can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by not drinking alcohol, or significantly limiting alcohol intake, and avoiding smoking, since many of the components of cigarettes are known carcinogens. 

What about reports that some types of alcohol, particularly red wine, may help prevent cancer? The fact is, such headlines are oversimplified and while red wine does contain the healthy phytochemical resveratrol, it ultimately seems to have both protective and cancer-causing properties. Given the remaining questions around its protective powers and what we do know about alcohol and breast cancer risk, avoidance remains the better route.

Reconsider Replacement Therapies

For many years, hormone replacement therapy was standard for women undergoing menopause, offering improved quality of life by limiting menopause symptoms. However, we now know that long-term use of hormone replacement therapy significantly increases breast cancer risk and should be avoided by women who are already at a high risk of developing such cancer. For women with a low or average risk profile, short-term use of hormone replacement therapy may be an option if you’re experiencing significant symptoms, but should be reevaluated by your doctor every 3-6 months.

There’s no way to absolutely prevent breast cancer, but there are many ways to minimize risk, and most of them are quite simple – and can decrease your risk of developing other serious health conditions, as well. So, do what you can, and build a strong foundation for lasting health. 

By making simple behavioral changes today, you could extend your life by years in the future.