Erica Mayer – an expert on Cancer at the Dana – Farber Cancer Institute gave 5 advice to help women fight against their risks of breast cancer.
- Get a breast X-ray before being 40.
“Getting an X-ray doesn’t prevent or cure breast cancer but it helps to detect the disease soon before it’s symptoms appear” – Dr. Mayer said to the journalist of New Kerala (India). An early detection of breast cancer facilitates the doctor’s treatment and increases the chances of survival.
- Have a healthy diet and stay at an acceptable weight.
“Eating many vegetables will help women reduce the chances of breast cancer” – Dr. Mayer’s advice. Besides that, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recommends a diet high in vegetables, fruits, wholegrain cereals and fiber to prevent the disease. In contrast, a diet high in fat can lead to overweight or obesity – a factor that increases the rates of breast cancer.
- Do physical activities regularly.
Dr. Mayer also claims that there are evidences showing physical activities reduce the risk of breast cancer. According to research, women who exercise 10 – 19 hours/week increase their chances of reducing the risk of breast cancer by up to 30%.
Women who get a workout more frequently have lower risks of this disease. Moreover, patients who survived after breast cancer surgeries are less likely to get the disease relapse if they exercise consistently.
- Cut back on alcohol consumption.
Cancer is highly caused by alcohol, especially breast cancer.
- Make out the family history of getting breast cancer.
About 5 – 10% of women possess BRCA1 or BRCA2 – the mutant gene causing breast cancer. Because of that, you also have a tendency to get breast cancer if your relative suffers from it.
“To women whose families have breast cancer histories, genetic testing can assess their risks of getting breast cancer. If an abnormal gene is found, she stills has many choices of reducing the risks”, Dr. Mayer insists.
