Understanding breast cancer - prevention

How can I prevent breast cancer?

Doctors still are not certain how you can stop breast cancer from happening in the first place.

Regular aerobic exercise may offer some protection against a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. Studies have suggested that women who exercise can reduce their risk of breast cancer by around a third, even though other factors probably play a role. Exercise also can help women with breast cancer better tolerate the side effects of radiotherapy or chemotherapy and can help promote a faster recovery after surgery.

Nutrition and diet to prevent breast cancer

Diet plays a very small but measurable role in breast cancer prevention. Dietary fats may increase your risk of developing breast cancer, and fruit, vegetables and grains may help to reduce the risk. It's a good idea to make whole milk dairy products, meat and foods fried at high temperatures only occasional treats rather than staples. You can liven up your menus by sampling different kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables and basing new dishes on whole grains and legumes. This way, you're bound to get plenty of fibre, along with vitamins and minerals thought to protect against breast cancer, specifically vitamins A, C, D, and E and calcium, selenium, and iodine. Some doctors recommend that breast cancer patients take antioxidant supplements.

Being overweight or obese may increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer so achieving a healthy weight is advised.

The risk of breast cancer increases with the amount of alcohol consumed so women are advised to keep within safe recommended amounts.

It's important to keep in mind that dietary measures are insufficient to overcome other risk factors for breast cancer. Women who adhere to a healthy diet should still take other preventive measures such as having regular mammograms.

Early detection, catching the disease, and treating it early in its development when it is most treatable remains proper strategy for better cancer outcome.  The following is a common approach, but ask your doctor exactly what you should do to help prevent breast cancer or find it early:

•  Be “breast aware”. The five points of this NHS plan are:

1.      Know what is normal for you
2.      Look and feel
3.      Know what changes to look for
4.      Report any changes without delay
5.      Attend breast screening if you are aged 50 or over

• All women in the UK between 50 and 70 years of age are routinely invited for a mammogram every three years. Those over the age of 70 can still have a mammogram but need to request this. Women over 40 years of age at high-risk of breast cancer or who have a family history of breast cancer will be offered an annual breast screening mammogram. Those at high-risk who are under 40 years of age will be offered screening with an MRI scan instead of a mammogram because breast tissue at this age is often too dense to get a clear mammogram.
• Build your diet around fruit, vegetables, grains, and fish.
• If you use contraception, ask your doctor about the pros and cons of contraceptive pills. 
• If you are near or in menopause, ask your doctor if you should use hormone replacement therapy to treat menopause symptoms. Studies suggest that hormone replacement can increase the risk of breast cancer. You and your doctor can make this decision based on your risk of breast cancer.