Staying healthy and fighting your risk for cancer is highly influenced by your behavior. High risk behaviors include an unhealthy diet, being physically inactive, smoking and delaying preventative screenings, such as a mammography. Choosing to live healthy and take preventative action could be the difference between living a long, fulfilling life and becoming ill.
Risk Factors
There are two types of factors that can put you at risk for developing breast cancer: unchangeable and changeable. The risk factors that you cannot change are ones that you are simply born into. According to the American Cancer Society, these include gender, age, genetics, personal history of breast cancer or other breast diseases, race, dense breast tissue, increased number of menstrual periods and exposure to radiation. These factors are not influenced by how you live. Changeable risk factors include having children, oral contraceptive use, hormone treatment, breast feeding, alcohol, weight and physical activity. These risk factors are influenced by your behavior and lifestyle choices.
Prevention
Early detection of breast cancer can mean a strong chance of survival. According to the American Cancer Society, mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer. After the age of 40, a woman should receive yearly mammograms. Self breast exams can be used to identify any irregularities in breast tissue. A woman should start self examining her breasts in her 20s. Women should perform monthly self breast exams.
Diet
Being overweight, obese or putting on extra weight after menopause is linked with a higher risk of developing breast cancer, states the American Cancer Society. In order to avoid excess weight gain, control calories and eat healthy foods. A healthy diet is filled with plant food sources. You should eat processed foods, high fat foods and red meat sparingly.
Physical Activity
Exercise can be used as a preventative and treatment tool for breast cancer. As a preventative measure, the American Cancer Society recommends participating in exercise five days per week for 45 to 60 minutes at a moderate to vigorous intensity. Not only does this kind of activity help prevent cancer, but it can also help control body weight. Physical activity to increase cardiorespiratory fitness can be used to decrease mortality due to breast cancer, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
Lifestyle
Certain lifestyle choices, especially concerning smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, can help prevent breast cancer development. The American Cancer Society recommends limiting alcohol and eliminating tobacco. Alcohol consumption should be limited to a maximum of two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. Tobacco and alcohol have been directly linked to breast cancer development.
References
- American Cancer Society: Breast Cancer Detailed Guide
- American Cancer Society: Can Breast Cancer Be Found Early?
- American Cancer Society: Stay Healthy
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; A Prospective Study of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Breast Cancer Mortality; Peel, Brent J., et. al.; volume 41, number 4, 2009
- American Cancer Society: Alcoholic Beverages
