Jane Brody recently wrote an article for the New York Times that gave some tips to help fight off breast cancer.

She mentions that the fear of breast cancer is widespread, yet most women don’t realize that by adopting healthy living habits can help decrease your risk.  The habits discussed below may also help fight off other life threatening diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Women definitely have reason to worry about breast cancer.  The disease is so common that one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in the course of a lifetime.  The American Cancer Society estimates that this year alone 252,710 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed and 40,610 women will die from the disease.

As you can see breast cancer is not to be taken lightly.  Regular screening is the most effective way to reduce breast cancer deaths.  But not nearly enough is said about what women can do on their own to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer in the first place.

NOT SMOKING
One of the most important actions is not smoking.  A study conducted in Norway and Sweden among 102,098 women found that those who smoked 10 or more cigarettes a day for 20 years or more had a 33% higher risk for developing breast cancer and girls who began smoking before age 15 were 50% more likely to get breast cancer.

WEIGHT CONTROL
Another important factor under personal control is weight.  As body mass index rises so does a woman’s chance of breast cancer, especially if she carries much of her excess weight around her waist.  This is because abdominal fat is particularly active in producing growth factors and hormones that can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.  Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard states that, the single most important thing that a woman can do to reduce the risk of breast cancer is to avoid weight gain in adult life.

As for what to eat, I will give you a guess, yup…… the diet most promoted for heart disease also applies for breast cancer. Diets that are high in fiber rich vegetables, fruits and grains and low in red meats and saturated fats are best at minimizing breast cancer.

ALCOHOL
A third factor that is clearly related to breast cancer is alcohol.  Women who drink 2-5 drinks a day are 40% more likely to get breast cancer than non-drinkers.  Just one drink a day can raise a woman’s cancer risk by about 7%.  However, a drink now and then is not likely to be a problem.  The author is a breast cancer survivor of 18 years and remains an occasional drinker.

PHYSICAL EXERCISE
Now it is time to discuss one we all know we should do a little more of: physical exercise.  Not only can regular exercise help to prevent breast cancer and promote recovery from the disease but it also protects against many other chronic ills and can help to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.  Many studies have observed that women that have an active lifestyle have a lower risk of developing breast cancer and lower mortality if they get it.  You don’t have to become  a workout maniac,  even as little as 30 minutes of active exercise a day has been proven to be helpful in preventing breast cancer.

Be Well,

Dr. Mark