Breast Cancer Awareness Month- Are You Aware You Can Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk?
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We wear the pink ribbons. We participate in walks to raise money for research and support. We reach out to friends who are battling breast cancer, remember those taken away too young by this deadly disease, and celebrate survivors.
Maybe we do something special for someone getting treatment, such as sending a helpful cancer gift box from Rock the Treatment.
Maybe the best gift you can give during Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to yourself; The gift of knowledge and education. There is no better time to learn about breast cancer prevention and things you can do to potentially lower your risk of being that 1 in 8 women who will get breast cancer.
How You Can Try and Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risks
The Mayo Clinic offers many suggestions to try and reduce the risk of breast cancer. Like many cancers, some factors that contribute to breast cancer involve lifestyle choices. You might be able to eliminate some of the risks with simple changes in your habits. Let’s look at the Mayo Clinic’s suggestions about reducing the risk of breast cancer.
- Drink less alcohol: The more alcohol you consume, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer. Doctors generally recommend limiting yourself to less than one alcoholic drink a day.
- Breast-feed: Breast-feeding might be an important part of breast cancer prevention. Studies show that the longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight increases the risk of breast cancer. Being obese increases the risk of cancer even more. This is especially true if obesity occurs after menopause.
- Exercise: Physical activity can help you keep your weight reasonable. This can help prevent breast cancer. Most healthy adults should try to do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, plus strength training at least twice.
- Don’t smoke: There is evidence of a link between smoking and breast cancer, particularly in premenopausal women.
- Avoid exposure to radiation and environmental pollution. Some medical-imaging tests use high doses of radiation. Research indicates there is a link between breast cancer and exposure to radiation over your lifetime. Have such tests only when necessary.
- Limit your dose and duration of hormone therapies. Taking combination hormone therapy for more than 3-5 years increases the risk of breast cancer. If you are taking hormones for menopausal symptoms, ask your doctor about other possible options. You might be able to treat your symptoms with non-hormonal treatment or medications.
- Be vigilant about self-breast examinations and other early detection methods – While this won’t reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, it can reduce your risk of dying from breast cancer. If you find changes in your breasts, such as a lump or skin changes, tell your doctor. Make sure you speak to your doctor about mammograms and other screenings that might be helpful.
Gift Boxes for Cancer Patients
No matter how hard we try to reduce the risk of getting cancer, everyone will not escape a diagnosis of breast cancer. If someone you love has cancer, send them a helpful cancer gift basket from Rock The Treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation gift baskets are packed with the essentials needed to ease side effects of treatment, as well as enhance physical and mental well-being. See all of our cancer care packages and find the one that best supports their journey.
