Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women; the first is lung cancer. There are many risks for breast cancer that can be reduced by making some changes in your diet and lifestyle.

*STOP SMOKING. Not only is smoking a risk factor for breast cancer (especially if smoking began at an early age), it is a primary cause for lung cancer. The nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco also greatly increase the risk of developing heart disease. Every time you light up, you hurt your lungs and heart. The longer you smoke, the worse the damage becomes.

*DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL. If you must drink, try to limit your intake to one glass a day. Alcoholic beverages contain calories but few nutrients and are harmful when consumed in excess. Women who have more than one drink per day develop cancer at a significantly higher rate than those who do not drink alcohol.

*EAT A HIGH-FIBER, LOW-FAT DIET. Eat at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day. Eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates (fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes). Whole grains and legumes are high in fiber and include whole grain breads, pasta, rice, and cereals. Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber. Fiber moves food through the digestive track quickly taking pre-cancerous toxins with it.

A diet low in fat reduces the risk of breast cancer and decreases the risk of obesity. Obesity plays a big part in breast cancer development. Fat tissue contains small amounts of estrogen and estrogen plays a major role in the development of breast cancer.

*EXERCISE. A regular physical fitness regimen, especially aerobic exercise (brisk walking), can reduce your risk for developing breast cancer. It is also a wonderful way to fight obesity and be healthier overall.

*AVOID HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY. Studies have proven there is a link between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer. The estrogen and progesterone contained in HRT increase the risk factor. HRT’s can also cause mammograms to be less effective. If you are considering taking HRT, please consult with your physician to discuss the risks.

*BE AWARE OF YOUR FAMILY HISTORY. If you have a female member of your immediate family who has had or currently has breast cancer, it can increase your risk. Breast cancer can be genetic. However, just because someone in your family has breast cancer, does not mean you will have it. Make sure your physician knows your family history.

*DO A SELF-EXAM EVERY MONTH. Checking your breasts carefully every month does not help prevent breast cancer but it can help detect breast cancer early. The earlier it is found, the better the prognosis.

*HAVE A MAMMOGRAM REGULARLY. Like a self-exam, a mammogram will not prevent the development of breast cancer, but it can detect it early.

Following the guidelines listed above can help you reduce your risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. It can also help reduce your risk of other diseases and conditions and increase your chances of living a healthier life.

Chris Chenoweth, author of the DO-IT-YOURSELF HOME, HEALTH & MONEY GUIDE, writes articles pertaining to diet, exercise, health, and business.

Breast Cancer in Young Women

Sometimes a cancer is unusual, not in itself, but in the situation which it occurs. Breast cancer is most common in women over 50; there are several cases in women in their 40s. It is far rarer in women under 40, but it does occur. We tend to be particularly shocked when it occurs in a young woman. In this situation it is detected as a lump, since generally, breast cancer screening through mammography is not done in young women.

Very often, a young woman gets misdiagnosed. She detects a lump and she is told it is just lumpy breasts and it is followed for a while until doctors realize it's something serious. Although this can be horrifying, in fact, it's quite understandable, since the vast majority of lumps in women under 35 are totally benign and the risk of cancer is very low. The fact that cancer is not diagnosed immediately doesn't mean that the young patient will die; since most breast cancers have been around 8 to 10 years, and whether it is diagnosed the minute you find it or six months later isn't the critical factor. We're so horrified when a young woman gets breast cancer that there's a disappointing number of lawsuits against doctors failing to find breast cancer in this population, because they're often misdiagnosed and because it's such a gut-wrenching situation. However, in most cases the doctors are not negligent. Still, doctors should be taught that young women can develop breast cancer and that doctors should remain vigilant.

Many doctors believe that breast cancer in a young woman is more aggressive than in older ones. Two studies have recently shed some light on this theory. Both studies showed that the mortality from breast cancer was higher in women who had been pregnant in the past four years. Risk was assessed to be higher right after pregnancy and decreased with each year, going back to normal after four years. Since young women are more likely to have been recently pregnant, they will show more of this effect. This suggests that it may not be the woman's age itself that affects aggressiveness but the changes in her immune system and hormones that go with pregnancy.

Breast cancer in young women is more likely to be hereditary. That makes sense - if you've inherited a gene mutation and you will only need one or two more mutations to get cancer, you're one step closer and you're likely to get there faster, whereas if you "acquire" breast cancer, you still need to get all the genetic mutations. That doesn't work all the time. Like older women, the majority of younger women with breast cancer have no family history. Nevertheless, if you have breast cancer in your family you are more likely to get it at a younger age than if you don't.

Overall, there is no evidence that breast cancer under 35 matched for prognostic features is any more aggressive than a cancer in an older woman. Younger women do, on the other hand, have a higher incidence of poor prognostic features. Still, a young woman and an older woman with the same tumors will have the same general prognosis.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

What Are The Main Causes of Breast Cancer?

It is an incredibly difficult day in any woman's life if she is found positive for breast cancer. Her family, friends, and anyone else who knows will wonder "why?" Why did this happen to her, and can it happen to me? One shield against such fears is to educate yourself as to the breast cancer causes and what signs to look for. Breast cancer is a disease where cells in your breasts begin dividing uncontrollably, forming the lumps that we are taught to examine ourselves for.

One thing is certain; cancer is a difficult disease to study. It is often difficult or impossible to tell in individual cases what caused breast cancer. However, what doctors do have a better grasp on are some of the things that are common among women (and the occasional men) who get breast cancer.

These are known more appropriately as breast cancer risk factors.

The following are a few breast cancer causes:

* Genetics and family history

* Age

* Early menstruation

* Delayed childbearing

* Presence of cancer or non-cancerous lumps in breasts previously

Genetics and family history are not exactly the same, but they are related. If there is a family history of cancer, you may be more at risk for breast cancer. However, you may be genetically at risk even without a family history of the disease. Mutations can occur in your genes that put you at risk.

If we talk about breast cancer causes, age is one of them, the older you get, the longer you are exposed to environmental factors that may mutate your genes.

Early menstruation and delayed childbearing both increase the amount of time that you are exposed to estrogen. This is one of the risk factors for breast cancer.

Presence of cancer or even non-cancerous lumps in a breast previously means you may be more at risk for breast cancer.

Breast cancer causes are difficult to pinpoint. At one level, it is fairly easy. Breast cancer is caused by a mutation that makes your cells divide uncontrollably. On another level, it is very complex. Excessive weight, radiation exposure, hormone therapy, and smoking are all potential breast cancer causes, in that they could trigger that genetic mutation.

Breast cancer causes are also dependent on environmental influences, such as what chemicals you may have been exposed to, or if someone around you is a smoker. Cancer is a complex disease, and breast cancer is one of the most difficult to pinpoint causes for.

Peter Morgan is the CEO and Founder of JV Members Ltd a new business that enables anyone to earn a living at home by writing short articles. No technical knowledge is required and membership is totally free! Or, if you would like to view more information on Disease and Cancer then please click the link.