It’s time to check those breasts ladies (and gentlemen, because this can affect you too)! This week kicks off the start of Breast Cancer Awareness month. You may or may not have ever been personally affected by a loved one’s or your own battle with this disease, but that’s beside the fact. Raising awareness for breast cancer is much more than wearing pink this month, it’s about being proactive and owning your health. Here are some important things I feel you all should know:
What is Breast Cancer?
Now for those who might not know what breast cancer is, or may need a better understanding, the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) defines breast cancer as a disease where malignant cancer cells are produced in breast tissue. The cells can then spread to other areas of the body. Now I won’t go into the cellular biology of it all because that’s not as key, but this is the general basis you need to know. It should also be noted: breast cancer can occur in women AND men! The NBCF notes that 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and that it is the most common cancer for women here in America. The foundation also inputs that an American woman is diagnosed every two minutes. With this being said, it is definitely important to know common risks of breast cancer.
Common Risk Factors
The NBCF states that those with a first-degree relative with breast cancer are almost twice as likely to develop it themselves. This means that this disease can affect you, your mother, your sister, and even your future children at an increased rate. More established and probable risk factors given by Susan G. Komen include use of alcohol, smoking, family history, high breast density, a younger age start to menstrual period, birth control, and the BRCA gene, to name a few. You can find many more on the foundation’s linked page, with quite a few of them being linked to hormone levels and medications. This link to hormone levels is backed by an American Medical Association article written by Sara Berg detailing the expertise of two doctors on what they wished patients knew about breast cancer prevention. In the article, Dr. Bonni Guerin is quoted saying in regards to known risk factors, “There’s also this whole concept of estrogen exposure, which can be both endogenous—within the body or how much your body produces—versus exogenous, from medications.” These risk factors dealing with hormones and the countless others are a mixture of variables that can and can’t be controlled, which can be seen as a positive or a negative.
Proactive Measures
Now I know everything I’ve said sounds concerning, so I want to give you guys some positivity with helpful tips on things that you can control to decrease certain risk factors. Mayo Clinic says that maintaining a healthy weight and participating in regular physical activity can reduce risk. They also state that drinking in moderation and quitting smoking can limit risks. Consulting with your physicians for certain screenings (like mammograms or blood tests for hormones) and testing can be extremely beneficial too. This sentiment is backed by the previously mentioned article by the American Medical Association, in which Dr. Jill Jin is quoted saying, “If you have a first-degree family member —such as your mom or sibling—who has breast cancer and is known to have BRCA, get tested for it,” in advocacy for testing. This goes back to and stresses the importance of being proactive against the risk factors I stated earlier. Now, if you click this link for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, you will find a free guide about health screenings concerning not only breast cancer, but many factors involving women’s health. You can also check out this article by Erin Reel from the Dublin City University chapter linked here for more helpful tips. I hope that you all find this information helpful and that you stay proactive about your health! Until next time!