Breast Cancer Risk Factors
By Elaine Bergstrom
Type the words "breast cancer + prevention" into the Google search engine on the internet and you’ll find over 300,000 web sites listed. In polls, women usually cite the fear of breast cancer as their main health concern. Yet, it is not the killer that such concern would indicate. For women 18 and up, as well as men, the main cause of death in this country is heart related problems (over 373,000 deaths), followed by all cancers, then brain and circulatory, and respiratory problems. Breast cancer as a separate category would come in 5th with about 44,000 deaths annually.
One reason for all the interest in breast cancer is that recent strides in treatment and prevention have made the conquest of breast cancer an attainable goal. In the 1970’s the breast cancer survival rate was about 75%. Today, it’s over 85%, with a 97% rate for those whose cancers are detected early. Because so much of the success of breast cancer treatment is dependent on early detection and treatment, the more publicity breast cancer gets the better.
With that in mind, here are things you can do to prevent breast cancer.
First, live a healthy life.
Over 30% of breast cancer risk is linked to the way we eat, the way we don’t move and the resulting obesity both can cause. Limit fats in your diet. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Don’t be a couch potato; get up and get moving. And if you have kids, get them moving, too. Research suggests that physical activity, especially when younger, may also provide an extra degree of lifetime protection against breast cancer.
Men and breast cancer, one survivors’s story.
Robert’s summer job was starting in early May, a grant-financed dream position in a different state. And the lump had appeared a few days before he was due to leave for it had appeared overnight not over weeks. Easy to overlook, to think of it a cyst or an insect bite.
Robert, a Vietnam veteran in his 50’s was a bit shy of the average age for male breast cancer, around 60. He did look up male breast cancer on the Internet. He discovered that the disease is rare, approximately 1 in 100 breast cancer cases affect men. And other than the lump, his symptoms didn’t match so he left the state thinking that if anything changed he could always visit a VA hospital where he was working.
Six months later, during a routine physical, he shared his concerns with his doctor who ordered a mammogram, then a biopsy, then surgery.
His treatment included removal of the lymph nodes, radiation, chemo, then hospitalization for a blood infection.
It’s been almost a year since his diagnosis. Robert is still being treated, and carefully screened for any return of the cancer. His advice, "Seek treatment. The earlier the better, because I certainly wish I didn’t have to go through all this."
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And while one or two drinks a day (especially red wine) may be good for your heart, more than that raises the risk of breast cancer. Exercise moderation and live a long and healthy life.
HRT or no HRT ... a hard decision.
A long-term study into the effects of hormone replacement therapy was recently halted due to a small rise in the incidence of breast cancer among participants. But alleviating hot flashes, menopausal migraines, the risk of osteoporosis and, some doctors believe, some cardiovascular disease may more than offset the increased risk of breast cancer. The good news is that, according to the American Cancer Society, once you stop HRT, your increased risk falls to that of the general population within five years.
And what about children?
Some women love children, others are sure they’d be "mommy dearest" on their best days. But women who have never had children, or who have them after age 30 do have a slightly higher rate of breast cancer. For those on oral contraceptives, there is a slightly elevated risk of breast cancer, something women with a history of breast cancer in their families may wish to discuss with their doctors. And for those who do have children, what’s good for the baby is good for you, too. Some studies show that nursing an infant to 18 months or two years will lower risk.
Genetic risks.
If you have a close relation, especially a mother or sibling, who has had breast cancer you need to be especially vigilant. Scientists have also discovered that about 10% of breast cancer cases come from an inherited genetic mutation. If breast cancer seems to run in your family, talk to your doctor about genetic testing.
Check, check and check.
You know the drill. Monthly self checks, yearly mammograms, especially for those over 40, a baseline mammogram when you’re younger so doctors can see the changes in breast tissue. But knowing and doing are two separate things.
For those who are uninsured, Milwaukee County offers free or reduced rate mammograms. Call your nearest public health center for details.
And see your doctor immediately if ANYTHING seems wrong with your breasts.
Most people think of breast cancer as being a lump that grows slowly, but there is a particularly virulent form of breast cancer whose first symptom is a hardening of breast tissue or sudden swelling, rash or pain in the breast. Inflammatory breast cancer does not show up on mammograms. It also mimics tissue infection but if it does not clear up after a few days of antibiotic treatment, insist on a biopsy.
