Breast Cancer Awareness: How Can You Help Prevent Breast Cancer

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

09 Oct 2006 04:08 AM

One of the goals of Breast Cancer Awareness month is to heighten the education of women across the board in how to prevent, treat and survive breast cancer. Let's talk about breast cancer prevention today and what we can do to help ourselves. Remember, I am not a doctor so if you think you are at risk for breast cancer or if you have discovered a lump or what you suspect may be a lump, you should see your physician as soon as possible.

Without further ado, here are a few ways to help you reduce your breast cancer risks:

• Get Physical - physical activity is believed to help you reduce estrogen levels in women's body. Increased activity, 30 minutes of active sweating per day, five days a week, can actually reduce your risk for breast cancer in part because estrogen helps feed breast cancer cells
• Lose Weight or Maintain a Healthy Weight - According to the American Cancer Society, the more weight a woman gains after her 18th birthday, the greater her risk for developing postmenopausal breast cancer
• Eat Your Veggies - Carotenoids are pigments in vegetables and fruits that help protect against cancer. So, remember what your mom told you and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day
• Soy Products - Asian women seem to have a one-fifth the breast cancer risk that Western women do and there is a great deal of speculation that their soy rich diet plays a significant role in it
• Breastfeeding is Healthy for You as well as Your Baby - Lactation actually reduces some of the estrogen in your body and breast feeding your children for as long as possible can reduce your risk for breast cancer as much as 4 percent per year of breast feeding
• Stop Smoking - Women who have a history of cancer in their families and who choose to smoke can actually develop more aggressive forms of breast cancer that doesn't depend on estrogen

It's important to get yearly checks with your physician during a physical. It's also important to perform your own breast self exam monthly, if you are not sure how to do this, discuss it with your physician in order to educate yourself.

October 21st is National Mammography Day and the American Cancer Society recommends that you make an appointment to schedule your annual breast exam if you haven't done it this year already. Routine screening can help you catch breast cancer in the early stages and increase your chances of treating it successfully.

Related Articles:

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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