Although breast cancer is the second-most common cancer among women, there may be steps women can take to prevent this disease from affecting their lives. The first step to prevention is knowing the risk factors. According to BreastCancer.org, 90 percent of breast cancers are due to genetic abnormalities rather than heredity.
Genetic Testing
Genetic mutations--or changes--can occur, resulting in abnormalities that increase a person's risk of developing breast cancer. Though these genes typically pass down through generations, making them hereditary mutations, the genetic mutations themselves are the risk.
Two primary genes are responsible for this--BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes can be inherited from either the mother or father' side, and women with at least one of these genes have up to an 80 percent chance of getting breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
For women with a strong family history of breast cancer, such as two or more first-line relatives with the disease, genetic testing may be an option. However, the testing is expensive and the results are not always clear. The American Cancer Society recommends speaking first with a genetic counselor or doctor before deciding. If a person follows through and tests positive, she should then discuss preventative measures with her doctor.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
The Mayo Clinic and the National Cancer Institute say that maintaining a healthy weight is an important preventative measure all women can take. The more fat tissue a woman has, the more estrogen her body produces--the hormone responsible for the growth of cancerous cells in the breast. This is especially true for those who gain weight after menopause.
Chemoprevention
Chemoprevention is a means of preventing cancer in women who face a greater risk for developing the disease. Chemotherapy drugs such as tamoxifen block the effects of estrogen on breast tissue. Doctors have been using this drug for years to prevent breast cancer recurrence. The American Cancer Society cites statistics from the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial. Women with an increased risk for developing breast cancer were given either tamoxifen or a placebo for five years. After seven years of follow-up, those taking tamoxifen had 42 percent fewer breast cancers versus women taking the placebo.
Preventative Surgery
Preventative surgery may seem like a drastic measure, but removing both breasts before cancer is found to reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 97 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. Complete prevention is not possible because some cancer cells can remain. Some reasons a woman may consider this surgery include genetic mutations found during testing, a strong family history and previous cancer in another breast.
