The prevention of breast cancer
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is one of the most terrifying events ever faced by a woman
Many factors influence breast cancer risk over a lifetime such as exposure to chemicals or carcinogens, alcohol intake, use of birth control pills, sleep quality, and even exposure to radiation for medical imaging purposes.
Risk factors such as delayed childbearing, the use of pharmaceutical hormone replacement therapy (HRT), inherited mutations to BRCA1/2 genes, family history of breast cancer, or obesity especially after menopause, are other important factors that may contribute to developing breast cancer.
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is one of the most terrifying events ever faced by a woman.
The fear and anxiety associated with this life-threatening diagnosis produces a deep sense of powerlessness and despair for many women, who then face difficult choices for treatment ranging from chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery to cut out the lumps, or even the whole breast.
Angelina Jolie’s infamous decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy stunned the world, when she opted to mitigate her high risk for developing breast cancer by undergoing a complex surgery.
However, this may not be a viable option for many women with a high risk for breast cancer – so what other options exist?
While cancer screening and early detection are important, it does NOT equate to cancer prevention.
Breast cancer prevention is far more valuable and making smart decisions about diet, lifestyle and controllable risk factors will significantly reduce the potential for a diagnosis.
It is important to realise that less than 10% of all breast cancer cases are related to genetic risk factors; the remaining 90% are triggered by environmental factors.
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