Breast cancer is a major health concern affecting hundreds of thousands of women (and thousands of men) every year. Understanding breast cancer risk factors associated with this disease is the first step in taking control of your health. While gender, genetics, and age play significant roles, empowering yourself with informed lifestyle choices can help make a difference.
It’s easy to let self-care slide down our “to do” lists but remember: early detection saves lives, and an effective tool in early detection is 3D digital mammography, which provides clearer and more detailed images of the breast, allowing for more accurate diagnoses. In addition to annual screenings, maintaining a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise can significantly contribute to breast health.
Understanding how your environment and habits influence your breast cancer risk is vital to maintaining good breast health — and managing that risk — over time.
Understanding Your Risks and Taking Charge
While anyone can develop breast cancer, certain factors increase your breast cancer risk. Some of these factors are beyond your control, such as:
- Womanhood. Women are more likely to develop breast cancer than men. Your risk is even higher if you enter menstruation before age 12 or menopause after 55.
- Age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women in the United States are most likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer after age 50, although incidence is increasing in younger populations. Your risk grows as you age, making annual screening mammograms even more important. For women of average risk, expert guidelines recommend beginning annual screening at age 40. Higher-risk women may need to start screening even earlier.
- Density. Dense breast tissue is more likely to develop — and conceal — breast cancer. Approximately 50% of women have dense breasts, making it one of the more prevalent risk factors. Breast density changes year to year, and a mammogram is the only tool that can determine density.
- Family. Having a family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer puts you at higher risk of breast cancer. However, it’s important to know that 85% of women with a breast cancer diagnosis have no family history.
- Genes. Genetic mutations raise your likelihood of breast cancer, specifically if you have the mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These are the two most common, but there are other genetic mutations that could elevate your risk. Genetic testing can help determine if you carry these mutations.
- Radiation. Undergoing chest radiation before age 30 may result in future breast cancer.
Genetics and health history don’t always determine your risk for developing breast cancer. There are plenty of things you can do to help manage your breast health and detect cancer early.
Can Losing Weight Reduce Breast Cancer Risk?
In addition to impacting your overall health, being overweight or obese may increase your breast cancer risk. Researchers are still uncovering the reasons for this link, but several theories exist:
- Being overweight or obese may cause inflammation, which can lead to cancer; diets that include highly processed foods, refined carbs, sugar and unhealthy fats can promote inflammation.
- Excess body fat may enable cells to survive longer than their normal lifespan, increasing cancer risk.
- Higher levels of insulin and estrogen in overweight individuals can fuel cancer cell growth.
- Increased risk may be linked to menopause when women tend to gain weight and their hormones fluctuate.
No matter what causes the obesity-breast cancer link, maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your breast cancer risk, especially after menopause. To lose weight and keep it off long-term, skip the fad diets. Instead, make healthy dietary and other lifestyle changes you can maintain over the long term.
Move More to Reduce Your Risk
Exercise can help boost your overall health and self-confidence while helping you trim down and lower your breast cancer risk. A study found that women who walked for more than an hour each day had a 23% lower risk of developing breast cancer over the long term compared to those who were less active. This highlights the importance of regular physical activity in reducing breast cancer risk.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly. During moderate activity, your heart rate increases, but you should still be able to talk. Examples of moderate exercise include:
- Ballroom dancing
- Cycling at a slow pace
- Gardening
- Walking at a brisk pace
- Water aerobics
Prefer more vigorous workouts? You can achieve health-promoting benefits with as little as 75 minutes of intense activity, including:
- Cycling at speeds over 10 miles per hour
- Digging, hoeing, and other intense yardwork
- Jumping rope
- Running
- Swimming laps
Make Dietary Changes You Can Live With
Eat healthily, and your body will thank you. You’ll have healthier skin, teeth, bones, and muscles. Your digestive system will function better, and you’ll protect yourself from a variety of health conditions, such as heart disease. There is even some evidence that what you eat may affect your breast cancer risk.
Some studies have indicated that diets rich in vegetables, fruits, and calcium-rich dairy products, while low in red and processed meats, might be associated with a lower risk of developing breast cancer. However, it’s important to note that not all research has reached the same conclusion, and the potential impact of specific foods on breast cancer risk remains uncertain.
To give your body what it needs for optimal health, adjust your diet to include the following:
- Foods filled with nutrients. Avoid empty calories, like those found in desserts or fast food. Instead, opt for leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and whole grains.
- Limited unhealthy choices. Make sure your diet doesn’t include heavily processed beverages or foods, including sodas, potato chips or other sugary, starchy foods. Swap out your processed white breads and pastas for healthier whole-grain alternatives.
- More fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. An easy way to fill up on good foods is with the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes whole, plant-based foods and healthy fats. It’s high in nutrients you need and limits red meats, sweets, and other unhealthy choices.
Before jumping into a new diet and cutting out entire food groups, remember that fad diets rarely last. To ensure a healthier dietary approach, talk with your primary care provider or a nutritionist. By working with a healthcare provider, you can develop a diet plan that works for your lifestyle and helps reduce risk factors for breast cancer.
As you plan your diet, remember that it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Eat too much of anything, even fruits and vegetables, and you may gain weight. So, watch what foods you eat and how much you include in your daily diet.
Annual Screening’s Important Role in Breast Cancer Risk Management
Making healthy lifestyle choices may reduce your breast cancer risk. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to guarantee you won’t get breast cancer. So, it’s important to team up with breast care experts to keep an eye on your breast health.
Early diagnosis through annual screening mammography allows your care team to detect cancer early when it is easier to treat and provides improved health outcomes. In fact, studies have shown that women whose breast cancers are found at Stage 0 or Stage 1 have a nearly 100% 5-year survival rate. Simply put, annual screening, starting at age 40, for women at average risk saves more lives. That’s why making annual screening and early detection part of your risk management strategy, in addition to living a healthy lifestyle, is so important.
Windsong Radiology offers annual 3D screening mammography and leading-edge imaging technologies as part of our commitment to exceptional patient care. We believe every woman has a reason to schedule her annual mammogram — for family, for herself, or for peace of mind.
