Today's topic is Be Breast Aware-reduce your risk of breast cancer.
1 in 9 women will develop breast cancer in her life time.Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian women.
Breast cancer develops when cancer cells multiply in the breast tissue.Both men and women can develop the disease but women are much more likely than men to do so.If your breast are exposed to more estrogen and progesterone over a lifetime. These female hormones can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. And your chances of getting the disease increase with age.
Personal and family history can increase your risk if you have had breast cancer before,have one or more family members diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer,have hereditary mutations in the BRCA1 or 2 genes.
Other risk factors include:
Exposure to estrogen may be higher than average if you have never given birth or gave birth for the first time after age 30, began menstruating at a young age,reached menopause later than average, have taken hormone replacement therapy especially estrogen plus progestin for more than 5 years.
Radiation treatment to the chest area.
Some breast conditions can increase risk as well, such as dense breast tissue, or a condition called atypical hyperplasia.
Lifetyle factors that can increase your risk such as overweight, drinking alcohol,taking birth control pills that combine estrogen and progesterone.
What you can do to reduce chance of getting breast cancer include:
Make lifestyle changes,mantain a healthy body weight,don't drink to much alcohol, avoid hormone replacement therapy.
Women 50 years and over should go for a mammogram at least every 2 years-screening can save your life!
Women 50 years and over can book their own free mammograms-call the Ontario Breast Screening Program at 1-800-668-9304
Women aged 40to 49-talk to your doctor or nurse about mammograms
All women-have a breast exam done by your doctor or nurse at your healthy check up every 1 to 2 years.
Get to know your breasts usually look and feel-talk to your doctor or nurse about any changes
Generally speaking, eat well,be active every day,have a healthy body weight,be smoke-free,limit alcohol,be sun safe as well as going for regular breast screening, women should have regular Pap tests and starting at age 50, men and wemen need to get screening for colorectal cancer.
Be breast aware in 5 steps:
1.Know what your breasts normally look and feel.
2.know what changes to check for.
3.Look and feel for changes.
4.Report any changes to a health care provider.
5.Learn about the benefits and limitations of getting a mammogram and make an informed decision about what is right for you.
Note any changes the size of shape of your breasts, any pain in the breast or armpit area, and swelling under the armpit or below the collarbone. Most changes will not be cancer but need to report to a health care provider.Changes like nipple changes,redness,nipple discharge,skin changes,dimpling/puckering, lumps/thickening should be paid attention.
Early detection saes lives!
A very serious topic!
