10 Ways to Prevent Breast Cancer

Ways to prevent breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, affecting nearly 1 in 8 women during their lifetime. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s a great time to review some of the top ways to prevent breast cancer, so you can stay healthy and happy all year long.

According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 234,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States in 2017 alone, and 39,520 women will die from the disease in 2017. While many cases are due to hereditary and other factors, there are several ways you can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer or even help treat it once it’s discovered. Here are some of the top 10 ways to prevent breast cancer from occurring and spreading through your body.

Breast cancer remains one of the most dangerous forms of cancer in women, with over 200,000 new cases diagnosed every year and over 40,000 deaths. It’s important to know what you can do to prevent breast cancer in order to stay safe, healthy, and alive. Here are ten ways to prevent breast cancer that you should try today.

1.Don’t smoke

Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Smoking makes your estrogen levels increase, which raises your breast cancer risk. If you smoke now, you can take steps to quit. In fact, smoking is one of the most preventable causes of cancer and death. If you’re ready to stop for good, talk with your doctor about quitting options that may be right for you.

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You can also talk with a counselor or join a support group. Smoking increases your risk of many other serious health problems, it might even shorten your life expectancy by several years, so there are few reasons not to quit once and for all. Your children and grandchildren will thank you!

2.Watch your alcohol intake

The more alcohol you drink, the greater your chance of developing breast cancer. The major recommendation based on thorough research on the effect of alcohol on breast cancer risk is to limit yourself to no more than one drink a day, as even small amounts increase risk.

Heavy drinkers are 50% more likely to develop breast cancer than those who abstain from alcohol. The relationship between alcohol and breast cancer is unclear, but there may be a link between drinking and higher levels of estrogen. Additionally, women who drink moderately or heavily tend to have poorer diets than women who don’t drink at all, since alcohol is often paired with calorie-dense food and skipped over when healthy foods are chosen.

To reduce your risk of breast cancer, limit your intake of alcoholic beverages. If you’re concerned about losing out on heart-healthy perks associated with red wine (including reducing risk of Alzheimer’s disease), try having one glass of red wine per day—if it’s something you enjoy doing regularly anyway.

3.Choose anti-inflammatory foods

Eating an anti-inflammatory diet will help reduce your risk of breast cancer. In general, try to include plenty of fresh produce, healthy fats, and lean proteins (and less sugar and processed foods) in your daily diet. Start out with these foods that are highest in inflammation-fighting antioxidants: leafy greens (kale, collards, spinach), broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, berries (blueberries and strawberries), pumpkin seeds/pepitas. Here’s a great list of anti-inflammatory superfoods if you’re

An should include these foods:

• tomatoes
• olive oil
• green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards
• nuts like almonds and walnuts
• fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines
• fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges

looking for more options, there are many other foods that fit into a protective anti-inflammatory diet.

Benefits of anti-inflammatory foods

On the other side are beverages and foods that reduce inflammation, and some chronic diseases, says Dr. Hu. He noted in particular fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, apples, and leafy greens that are high in natural antioxidants and polyphenols—protective compounds found in plants.

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research has also shown that nuts with reduced markers of inflammation and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Coffee, which contains much polyphenols and other anti-inflammatory compounds, may protect the body against inflammation, as well.

Anti-inflammatory diet

To reduce the level of inflammation, aim for an overall healthy diet. If you’re considering an eating plan that closely follows the tenets of anti-inflammatory eating, consider the Mediterranean diet, which contains a large number of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, and healthy oils.

In addition to reducing inflammation, a more natural, less processed diet can have remarkable effects on your physical and emotional health. “A healthy diet is significant not only for lowering the risk of chronic diseases but also increases mood and overall quality of life,” Dr. Hu says.

4.Get enough sleep

Getting a full night’s sleep is important for maintaining optimal health. A recent study found that people who slept fewer than six hours a night had double the risk of developing diabetes compared with those who slept between seven and nine hours. Getting enough shut-eye also helps regulate hormones and mood, which can have an impact on cancer risk.

Why is getting enough sleep important?
Getting enough sleep has many benefits. It can help you:

1.Get sick less often
2.Stay at a healthy weight
3.Reduce your risk for serious health problems, like diabetes and heart disease
4.Reduce stress and improve your mood
5.It helps to think more clearly and do better in school and at work
6.Get along better with people
7.It helps in good decisions and avoid injuries for example, drowsy drivers cause thousands of car accidents every year

Aim for 7–9 hours each night; if you’re getting less than that, find ways to wind down earlier in your evening so you don’t have trouble falling asleep. If you can’t commit to seven straight hours of rest every single night, try napping during your lunch break or even once in a while on weekends (yes, it will still help).

5.Exercise regularly

Maintain a healthy weight. If your weight is healthy, work hard to keep that weight. If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor about healthy ways to achieve this. Reduce the intake of calories you eat each day and slowly increase the amount of exercise.
Regular physical activity helps prevent breast cancer in a number of ways. Exercising boosts your metabolism, which can help you shed extra pounds (and keep them off), and working out also strengthens muscles and bones, which are protective against falls, fractures, and broken bones, the most common reason for postmenopausal breast cancer.

Exercise is associated with lower levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a substance linked to increased breast cancer risk. In addition, exercise may decrease levels of estrogens that fuel some types of breast cancers. Many women find that 30 minutes on most days of moderate activity, such as brisk walking or water aerobics, meets their needs for exercise.

6.Wear sunscreen

Sunscreen is important for healthy skin, and it’s also an excellent way to protect yourself from harmful UV rays. The American Cancer Society recommends using sunscreen with at least SPF 15, which provides good protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

The Benefits of Sunscreen

• Reduce the Signs of Aging. If you want to reduce the signs of aging, then make sunscreen your friend.
• Limit the Appearance of Sunspots.
• Protect the Skin from Sunburn.
• Reduce the Risk of Skin Cancer.
• Avoid Broken Blood Vessels.

You should reapply sunscreen every two hours, even if you use a water-resistant or sweat-proof formula. Skin cancer is linked to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, either from sunlight or indoor tanning beds, so taking precautions is a good idea. Find a sunscreen you like (no one wants to wear something they hate) and make sure you use it regularly.

7.Have regular mammograms

Mammography is specialized medical imaging that uses a low-dose x-ray system to see inside the breasts. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, aids in the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women.

An x-ray exam helps doctors diagnose and treat medical conditions. It exposes you to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. X-rays are the oldest and most often used form of medical imaging.

Three recent advances in mammography include digital mammography, computer-aided detection and breast tomosynthesis.

Digital mammography, also called full-field digital mammography (FFDM), is a mammography system in which the x-ray film is replaced by electronics that convert x-rays into mammographic pictures of the breast. These systems are similar to those found in digital cameras and their efficiency enables better pictures with a lower radiation dose. These images of the breast are transferred to a computer for review by the radiologist and for long term storage. The patient’s experience during a digital mammogram is similar to having a conventional film mammogram.

Computer-aided detection (CAD) systems search digitized mammographic images for abnormal areas of density, mass, or calcification that may indicate the presence of cancer. The CAD system highlights these areas on the images, alerting the radiologist to carefully assess this area.

Breast tomosynthesis, also called three-dimensional (3-D) mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), is an advanced form of breast imaging where multiple images of the breast from different angles are captured and reconstructed (“synthesized”) into a three-dimensional image set. In this way, 3-D breast imaging is similar to computed tomography (CT) imaging in which a series of thin “slices” are assembled together to create a 3-D reconstruction of the body.

Although the radiation dose for some breast tomosynthesis systems is slightly higher than the dosage used in standard mammography, it remains within the FDA-approved safe levels for radiation from mammograms. Some systems have doses very similar to conventional mammography.

Large population studies have shown that screening with breast tomosynthesis results in improved breast cancer detection rates and fewer “call-backs,” instances where women are called back from screening for additional testing because of a potentially abnormal finding.

Breast tomosynthesis may also result in:

• earlier detection of small breast cancers that may be hidden on a conventional mammogram
• fewer unnecessary biopsies or additional tests
• greater likelihood of detecting multiple breast tumors
• clearer images of abnormalities within dense breast tissue
• greater accuracy in pinpointing the size, shape and location of breast abnormalities

One of the easiest ways to prevent breast cancer is by having regular mammograms. Schedule your first one as soon as you turn 40 years old, and then schedule them every year until you turn 75. If you’re at a higher risk of breast cancer, if there’s been a history in your family, for example you may need to have more frequent exams or take part in some screening tests earlier than others.

For example, women with a BRCA gene mutation should begin annual mammograms starting around age 25. Genetic testing can also indicate if it’s appropriate for you to have MRIs or ultrasounds on a regular basis as well. Talk with your doctor about your risks and how best to proceed with screenings.

8.Get an HPV vaccine

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that is spread through sexual contact. Nearly all sexually active men and women contract HPV at some point in their lives. Most people who become infected with HPV do not realize they have it, since there are often no symptoms, or any symptoms that appear tend to be minor and non-serious, such as genital warts.

All people ages 9 to 45 can get the HPV vaccine to protect against genital warts and/or different types of HPV that can cause cancer. It’s generally recommended that children get the vaccine at age 11 or 12, so they’re fully protected years before they become sexually active.

But regardless of your age, talk with your nurse or doctor to find out if the HPV vaccine could benefit you. Additionally, if an infection remains undiagnosed, a person may be more likely to develop cervical cancer or other life-threatening illnesses. To reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, you should ask your doctor about getting an HPV vaccine series for you and your children. Don’t wait until next year to get vaccinated now!

9.See your doctor regularly

There are certain screenings that everyone should get. One of them is for breast cancer. Women between ages 40 and 55, for example, should have a screening mammogram every year, plus an MRI once every 5 years if they’re at high risk of developing breast cancer. Talk with your doctor about which tests are right for you based on your age and family history.