WWW.PROFESSIONALWOMANMAG.COM PROFESSIONAL WOMANS MULTICULTURAL MAGAZINE
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hile many factors over the course of your life can affect your risk of breast cancer, such as getting older or your family history, there are ways that you can take care of yourself and lower your risk. Here are the best ways to stay on top of your breast health:
Know Your Family History
A womans risk for breast cancer is higher if she has a mother, sister, or daughter (first-degree rel- ative), or multiple family members on either her mothers or fathers side of the family, who have had breast or ovarian cancer. Having a first-degree male relative with breast cancer also raises a womans risk. Collecting your family health history of breast cancer and sharing this information with your doctor can help you find out if you're at higher risk. Based on this history, your doctor will be able to determine the appropriate time to start breast cancer screening and if genetic counseling, genetic testing, or other treatments are necessary for you.
Stay on Top of Your Screenings
For many women, mammo- grams are the best way to ind breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of more severe types of breast cancer and is the best way to find breast cancer for most women of screening age. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that women
Every year, about 264,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in American women, making it the most common cancer in women besides skin cancer.
Breast Cancer Awareness:
Knowing the Risks and Preventing Them
who are 50 to 74 years old and are at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram every two years. Women in their forties should talk to their doctor or other health care professional about when to start and how often to get a mammogram. If you believe that screenings should start even earlier than this, consult your doctor to find the best course of action for you.
Be Active
Women who are not physically active have a higher risk of breast cancer, along with many other serious ailments. Whether its walking, biking, run- ning, swimming, or playing a sport, make sure to make time to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.
Limit Your Alcohol
Studies show that a womans risk for breast can- cer increases with the more alcohol they drink. To put it simply, limiting or abstaining from alcohol can decrease your risk of breast cancer and contracting other serious ailments.
Understand Your Reproduction Risks
Having the first pregnancy after age 30, not breast- feeding, and never having a full-term pregnancy can raise breast cancer risk. If you are pregnant or want- ing to become pregnant while over the age of 30, make sure to talk to your doctor and attend your reg- ular checkups to stay as healthy and safe as possible. Breast feeding your children has also been shown to prevent risks for breast cancer.
Find the Proper Hormone Treatments
Some forms of hormone replacement therapy (those that include both estrogen and progesterone) taken during menopause can raise risk for breast can- cer when taken for more than five years. Certain oral contraceptives (birth control pills) also have been found to raise breast cancer risk. If you are taking, or have been told to take, hormone replacement therapy or oral birth control pills, ask your doctor about the risks and find out the right supplement plan for you.
Sources: CDC, Breastcancer.org, American Cancer Society
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