Breast cancer awareness month may not start until October; however, it’s never too early to be breast aware. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canadian women, with 1 in 4 cancer diagnoses being breast cancer. To some, this is just a statistic, but to many, this represents their mother, their sister, their aunt, their grandmother, or even themselves. Breast cancer doesn’t have just one single cause, and it can affect both females and males.
Fortunately, the number of deaths due to breast cancer have decreased since its peak in 1986 due to early detection, but it’s important that we learn about risk factors and being breast aware in order to be breast healthy.
What are the risk factors?
A risk factor is something that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease. Please note that just because you have a risk factor, it doesn’t mean that you will get breast cancer. However, you may also have no risk factors and develop the disease, which is why it’s important that you become familiar with how your breasts look and feel so that you can notice any changes. As found on the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) website, below are some of the risk factors of breast cancer:
1. Aging
2. Being female
3. BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation: BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that normally help protect us from getting breast cancer. When there’s a mutation, in one of these genes, the person has a greater risk of developing breast cancer.
4. Personal history of cancer: having previously had some types of cancer, as a child or an adult, leads to a moderate-to-high increase in the risk of developing breast cancer.
5. Radiation exposure to the chest before 30-years-old
6. Dense breasts: a dense breast has less fat and more glandular and connective tissue.
7. Atypical hyperplasia
8. Family history of breast cancer
9. Combined hormone replacement therapy use
10. Combined birth control pill use
11. Not having children (compared with a woman who has her first child by age 35)
12. Not breast feeding
13. First period before the age of 12
14. Age 55+ at menopause
15. Alcohol consumption (2-4 drinks per day)
16. Smoking
17. Lack of physical activity
18. Being an unhealthy body weight
How can you reduce your breast cancer risk?
1. Maintain a healthy body weight and a healthy diet: This is not to say that we should all aim to be the same size. Of course all people have different body shapes and sizes. No matter your body shape, it’s important to stay physically fit and to eat healthy because excess weight gained during adulthood increases the risk of breast cancer later in life. In North America, it’s estimated that 17% of breast cancers could be prevented with healthier body weights alone. Did you also know that according to the World Cancer Research Fund, we could prevent a third of cancers in adults if we ate more vegetables and fruits, exercised more, and maintained a healthier body weight?
2. Stay physically active: Physical activity can modify the level of sex hormones (e.g. estrogen) in the body, reduce inflammation, insulin resistance, and body fat levels – all of which may play a role in an increasing breast cancer risk. More specifically, at least 30-60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous level physical activity is needed to lower risk.
3. Lower your alcohol consumption: As university students, alcohol is involved in many events and at many parties. Alcohol is a carcinogen, and the higher the daily consumption of alcohol, the higher the risk for breast cancer.
4. Quit smoking: Tobacco is another carcinogen to look out for. Not only that, but I hope that everyone knows by now that smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and harms non-smokers as well.
Visit the CBCF website to learn more ways to reduce your breast cancer risk.
To show your support for individuals whose lives have been affected by breast cancer, and to contribute to breast cancer research, you can register for the CBCF CIBC Run for the Cure. The run is on Sunday, October 2, 2016 at Tunney’s Pasture for the Ottawa/Gatineau area.
Stay tuned for more articles about breast cancer and breast cancer awareness during October.