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Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer Information Service Health Topics A-Z Health Topics by Category
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Preventing Breast Cancer
Peer Review Status: Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Information Service
First Published: October 2000
Last Revised: May 2003
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in American women,
with an estimated 182,800 cases expected to be diagnosed in a year's time. A
risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of getting a
disease. Scientist have identified a number of risk factors for
developing breast cancer, including:
Risk factors that cannot be changed
- Increasing age (two-thirds of all breast cancers occur in
women over 50 years of age)
- Onset of first menstrual period at age 11 or younger
- Onset of menopause after age 50
- Family history of breast cancer in mother, and/or sisters
- Exposure to ionizing radiation (fluoroscopy for tuberculosis,
radiation for Hodgkin's Disease etc)
- Jewish ethnicity
Rick factors that can be changed
- Never having children or having a first pregnancy after age
30
- Use of oral contraceptives (risk increases only while taking
oral contraceptives)
- Use of hormone replacement therapy for 5 or more years
- Consuming one or more alcoholic drinks per day
- Postmenopausal weight gain
- Eating less than 3 servings of vegetables per day
Other possible risk factors include:
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Smoking
- Abortion
Since 70% of women who develop breast cancer do not have any of
the risk factors identified above, all women need to take
preventative steps.
Steps you can take to reduce your risk of breast cancer
- Eat at least three servings a day of vegetables.
- Limit alcohol consumption to less than 1 drink per day.
- Breastfeeding for at least one year over all pregnancies
lowers breast cancer risk.
- Talk with your family physician about taking a Selective
Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) such as tamoxifen or raloxifene
if you are at high risk.
- Consider gene testing, and/or prophylactic mastectomy if you
have a strong family history of breast cancer.
- Exercising (30 minutes per day) and refraining from tobacco
use provide health benefits in addition to possibly lowering
breast cancer risk.
- Follow the recommended screening and early detection
guidelines. The American Cancer Society recommends:
Women age 40 and
older should have:
- an annual mammogram
- annual clinical breast
exams performed by a health care professional
- perform monthly
breast self-examination
Women ages 20-39 should have:
- clinical
breast exams performed by a health care professional every three
years
- perform monthly breast self-examination
- If detected
early, breast cancer can often be treated effectively.
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