Factors You Can
Control
Diet & Exercise
Breast cancer rates have shown to be higher in
countries where a large portion of the diet is fat. Try to eat lower on
the food chain. You can look at fish as a good source of protein. That
means lots of fruits and vegetables, and less fats and meats. Think about
incorporating some "cancer
fighting foods" into your diet. They include avocados, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic,
lemon, raspberries, tofu, walnuts, and more.
Women who engage in regular
physical activity may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer.
Increased physical activity, even when begun later in life, reduces
overall breast cancer risk by 20 percent among women at all levels of risk
for the disease, according to a study led by researchers at Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Their findings appear in the Journal of the American
Medical Association.
More information on
food and exercise and their role in developing cancer.
Use of Hormone
Replacement Therapy
By using
hormone replacement therapy
to deal with the
side effects of menopause, women continue the flow of estrogen throughout
their bodies raising their overall exposure to the hormone and increasing
their risk. Natural methods can often be used instead of HRT like
acupuncture, aroma therapy, chiropractic medicine, exercise, and
specific diets. Like birth control, within 5 years of stopping HRT use,
breast cancer risk returns to normal.
Alcohol
Intake
A large number of studies support a link
between alcohol intake and increased risk of breast cancer
. One study says that
for each 10 grams of alcohol consumed a day, the lifetime risk of women
developing breast cancer increases by
almost 10% (there are about 15 grams of alcohol in the usual
single alcoholic beverage). (American Cancer Society)
Body
Weight
Numerous studies have linked body
weight
to breast
cancer risk. However, the manner in which weight affects risk differs
between pre- and post- menopausal women. Before menopause, being somewhat
overweight appears to decrease a woman's risk of
getting breast cancer. After menopause, however, being overweight increases the risk of
disease by 20 to 60 percent.
Factors You Cannot Control
Being
Female
Being female is the most important risk factor
for breast cancer. Although men do get breast cancer, it is about
100 times more common among women.
Getting
Older
The older we get the greater
our chance
of getting breast cancer is.
Breast Density
As breast
density
increases, so does the risk of
breast cancer. While high-density breasts have a greater amount of tissue
than fat, low-density breasts have a greater amount of fat than tissue.
Women with higher density
brests are 4 to 6 times more likely to develop breast cancer
than women with low density breasts.
Initial Menstruation at a Young
Age
Starting menstruation periods at a young age is linked
to a small increase in breast cancer later in life.
By keeping physically fit and exercising regularly, young women can actually delay
the onset of their first menstruations.
High Bone Density
Studies have consistently found a link between high
bone density and a higher risk of breast cancer. However, it’s not that
strong bones themselves actually increase risk, it is that high bone density is an indicator of eleveated blood estrogen,
which is an important breast cancer factor. The more estrogen a woman produces
in her lifetime, the more bone mass she has.
Late Onset of Menopause
Going through menopause
at a lage age (generally after 55 years old) is a well-established risk
factor.
Family History of Breast
Cancer
Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose
close relatives on either side have/had breast cancer
.
Racial Heritage
White women are more likely to get breast cancer than
are African-American women. However, African-American women are more
likely to die of breast cancer. This could be
because their cancers are often found at a later stage or are
a more virulent type of cancer.
Factors You May or May
Not Be Able to Control
Birth Control
The overall conclusion is that current or recent use
of birth control pills
slightly increases the risk of breast cancer. The
relative risk of breast cancer is 10 to 30 percent higher in women who use
birth control than those women who do not. The more estrogen your body is
exposed to, the higher your risk. Since taking birth control increases the
amount of estrogen in your body, the risk of developing breast cancer is
greater. How ever,
within 5 years of stopping birth control, breast cancer risk appears to
drop back to your original level.
Age of First Pregnancy
Having children before the age of 35 decreases a
women's risk of breast cancer. (link
)
Not Breast-Feeding
There is now good evidence that breast-feeding protects against
the disease, particularly in pre-menopausal women.
Lifetime Estrogen
Exposure
A high lifetime exposure to estrogen is an important
risk factor for breast cancer. Women can lower their estrogen levels by
maintaining a health weight, limiting their alcohol intake, being physically active and
avoiding post-menopausal hormones and birth control.
Environmental Risk
Factors
Air
Pollution
From the smoke stacks at factories
billowing out thick smoke to the small puffs coming out of the car driving
in front of us, we are exposed to less than clean air every day. These
pollutants contain specific chemicals linked to breast cancer. Try to stay
away from running cars, diesel trucks and factories, open up windows in
your
car or home to keep the fresh air flowing. Another air pollutant
is smoking and second hand smoke.
Electromagnetic Fields
Every time an electric current passes through a wire,
it produces an Electromagnetic Field (EMF). Electric charges create
electric fields. Electric charges which move create magnetic fields. An
appliance that is plugged in has an electric field even when the appliance
is off. To produce a magnetic field, however, the appliance must be not
only plugged in, but also operating, so that the current is flowing. (http://www.consumerlawpage.com).
From toasters to coffee makers, to copy machines to computers, we
are exposed to EMF's daily. Research has shown a significant link between
exposure to EMFs and breast cancer.
The key to dealing
with the products in your home that create EMFs is to: keep your distance,
sit far back from the television, stand away from the microwave, toaster,
coffee maker, etc., and place your alarm clock three feet from your
head.
At work keep your
distance from computers, copy machines, printers, and fax machines. Three
feet away is a good rule of thumb for how far you should be from anything
plugged in to the wall.
Household and Personal Care
Products
Many of the products we use in our homes and on our
bodies on a regular basis contain carcinogens and estrogenic compounds.
Chemical based bathroom and kitchen cleaning solutions/sprays can
interfere with your body's natural ability to use estrogen by introducing
estrogen like compunds into your body. This can cause an excess of
estrogen in your body, which is linked to breast cancer. Personal care
products like make-up, deoderant, lotions, even shampoo, can have similar
compounds. All of these products contain carcinogens, compounds known to
cause cancer. For more information about the ingredients in your personal
care products, check out http://www.safecosmetics.org
.
Plastics
Most plastics leach chemicals that are harmful to us.
Plastics, from their manufacturing to their final disposal, create
millions of pounds of toxic waste that ends up in our air, water, land,
and bodies. Most foods are wrapped in plastic when we buy them or when we
store them. PVC (plastic #3) is
particularly harmful and is used in many toays for small children (which
often end up in their mouths).
When we microwave
foods in plastic containers they exude even more chemicals. Liquid foods
pick up the chemicals even more than solid food. Plastic cups, plates, and
silverware should even be avoided when eating hot food.
Glass is the answer.
Non-plastic containers are usually for sale at the nearest super market or
department store. For small and medium storage needs, the glass food jars
that you would otherwise throw out or recycle make great storage
containers. If you choose to still keep the plastic in the storage
cupboard, try not to use it for liquid food or for microwaving. take the
time to simply transfer your food to a microwave safe bowl or place and
prevent the seepage of chemicals.
Chemical and
Pesticides
About 70 chemical
compounds that are proven to cause cancer in lab animals are allowed in
American Commercial foods. Chemicals interfere with the normal functions
of hormones in the body. They are stored in the fatty tissues of the body
(i.e. the breast!) and do not go away. Chemicals are called bio-persistent
and bio-accumulative (because they allow other chemicals to join them!)
Some of these chemicals include food preservatives and additives,
fertilizers and pesticides. Here are some ways for you to fight back: wash
your fresh food, buy organic food, avoid over-processed foods and fast
food chains, ride your home of as many chemicals as possible. For
information on safe substitutes for household toxics check out: http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/safe-fs.html
.
