Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women aside from skin cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Cancer Society explains that while there is no sure way to prevent this cancer from occurring, women can take certain steps that may reduce their risk and increase their odds of finding it in the earliest stage possible, when treatment is most effective.
Step 1
Perform self breast exams. Performing frequent self breast exams allows a woman to locate any unusual lumps or changes in her breasts that may warrant further examination by her doctor. The American Cancer Society recommends that women begin these self exams in their 20s. Performing the exam is a simple procedure that begins with the woman lying down and placing one arm behind her head. Then, using the finger pads of the three middle fingers on the opposite hand, she makes a circular motion the size of a dime to feel the breast tissue for any lumps. Three levels of pressure are necessary to feel through the different depths of tissue: a light pressure for the tissue closest to the skin, a medium for the tissue just beyond that, and a firm pressure for the tissue closest to the chest and ribs. The woman should repeat this motion around all areas of the breast before changing positions and checking the opposite breast.
Step 2
Visit the doctor for regular screenings. The American Cancer Society defines screenings as tests and exams a doctor uses to detect a disease. The type of breast cancer screening a woman undergoes depends on her age and risk factors such as family history. The American Cancer Society recommends, for example, that women in their 20s and 30s undergo clinical breast exams as a part of their regular health exam, which should be done a minimum of every three years. Then, beginning at age 40, women should undergo a mammogram each year.
Step 3
Lose excess weight. Both the Mayo Clinic and the American Cancer Society agree that losing excess weight is one way for women to prevent breast cancer. The risk for developing breast cancer due to being overweight is greater after menopause, when the ovaries no longer produce estrogen. After menopause, a majority of a woman's estrogen--the hormone that stimulates the division and growth of breast cells--comes from fat tissue. The more fat tissue a woman has, the more estrogen she produces, and estrogen supports the growth of most breast tumors.
Step 4
Take an estrogen-blocking drug. Tamoxifen is a drug that helps block some of the effects estrogen has on breast tissue. The American Cancer Society explains that doctors have used it for a number of years to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women. The American Cancer Society adds that studies, such as the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial, have shown that taking tamoxifen can lower the risk of developing breast cancer in women who are at risk. These include women with a personal or family history of the disease or women with a genetic link.
