Hina Jalil

Although there's no sure-fire road map to breast cancer prevention, these good habits can help.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer during her lifetime — a sobering statistic that leaves many women asking, “What can I do to lower my breast cancer risk?”

Yes, there are some factors you can’t control, such as being a woman and getting older — about two out of three women with invasive breast cancer are 55 or older when the cancer is found. However, there are steps you can try to improve your odds of avoiding this disease.



Breast Cancer Prevention: What You Can Do

Making these smart lifestyle decisions can shift the odds in your favor:

* Lose the extra pounds. Being overweight or obese raises your breast cancer risk after menopause. If you have a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25, you need to consider losing weight.

Susan Gapstur, PhD, MPH, vice president of epidemiology at the American Cancer Society, says consistently gaining weight throughout adulthood also puts you at higher risk. Research has shown that women who gained 55 pounds or more after age 18 have an almost 50 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who maintained their weight. What’s worse, Gapstur says overweight women who get breast cancer have a higher risk of dying from it than leaner women do.

Why does carrying extra weight put you at greater risk after menopause? Gapstur says the relationship is not entirely understood, but fatty tissue appears to contribute to higher levels of estrogen and other hormones, raising the risk of developing post-menopausal breast cancer.

* Get moving. Regular exercise not only protects your heart, but may also play a role in breast cancer prevention. It’s believed that women who exercise vigorously for 45 to 60 minutes on five or more days a week may reap the most breast cancer protection.
Gapstur says the main point is to get moving. “If you can do 60 minutes of moderate exercise on most days, that’s okay, too.” She adds that keeping a healthy weight and being physically active can keep estrogen and other hormone levels in check, which has beneficial effects on insulin levels and the immune system.

* Cut down on cocktails. Gapstur says there’s a clear connection between alcohol use and an elevated risk of breast cancer. If you are a regular drinker, do so only in moderation. For women, that means no more than one drink per day of any kind.

Even drinking at that level slightly elevates risk. And research indicates that risk goes up with every drink. In 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer analyzed more than 40 epidemiological studies and found that the equivalent of two drinks a day may boost risk by 21 percent.

Gapstur says exactly how alcohol affects breast cancer risk is not completely understood. Several factors may come into play, and one could be that alcohol increases levels of circulating estrogen or other hormones in women.

* Be cautious about hormonal therapy for menopause. Lower hormone levels in menopause can lead to hot flashes, thin bones, and vaginal dryness. To relieve these symptoms, women sometimes use hormone replacement therapy (HRT). But one type of HRT that combines the hormones estrogen and progesterone appears to increase the risk of breast cancer and other diseases in some women, especially in those who use hormones for several years.

Have a candid conversation with your doctor about the risks and benefits of using hormone therapy. If you decide to go ahead, it’s recommended that hormones be used at the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time possible.

* Consult your doctor about using oral contraceptives. Gapstur says that recent use of the Pill may add to breast cancer risk. But 10 years after stopping the pill, the risk is back down to average.

* Consider breastfeeding. Not only is it good for baby, it also lowers your breast cancer risk. Breastfeeding lowers estrogen levels, so the longer you do it, the better.

Go on the Offense, Too

Gapstur notes that if you have a strong family history of breast cancer, you should let your doctor know. You and your medical team can look at a detailed history and decide what other preventive measures might be appropriate for you.

Focusing on the risk factors you can control is a great breast cancer prevention strategy, but there are no guarantees in life. That’s why regular screenings like mammograms and clinical breast exams are so important. The American Cancer Society continues to recommend yearly screening mammograms beginning at age 40 for women who are not at high risk of breast cancer. If you’re unsure of when to start, speak to your doctor.