CAUSES OF BREAST CANCER

For years, a lot of articles with regards to the causes of breast cancer point to an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise as the major links to this disease which happens to be the biggest killer among women. Here are some information to Prevent Breast Cancer.

Lifestyle Choices

Recent use of Contraceptive pills

Studies have found that women who are using birth control pills have a slightly greater risk of breast cancer than women who have never used them. This risk seems to go back to normal over time once the pills are stopped. Women who stopped using the pill more than 10 years ago do not seem to have any increased risk. It's a good idea to talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of birth control pills.

Wearing Tight Bra

In the "Bra and Breast Cancer Study" in the United States, it was discovered that women with breast cancer had a history of sporting tighter and longer bra-wearing than did the women who had not (yet) developed the disease. In fact, virtually all of the cancer group wore bras over 12 hours daily with 18% even sleeping with their bras which means they wore bras 24 hours daily. In contrast, the comparison groups had 25% of the women either bra-free or wearing bras less than 12 hours daily.

Only 3% of this group slept with their bras on. This study revealed a significant link between bras and breast cancer that is three times greater than the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer!

Truthfully, bras are creating droopy, weak breasts...the breast relies on the bra for artificial support, the body loses its ability to support the breast by itself. This is why many women feel uncomfortable without a bra. What is the solution to breast cancer then? DON'T WEAR A TIGHT BRA! And maybe sleep without them. There is a remarkable success rate for recovery from fibrocystic breast disease within 10 days to two weeks of going bra-free. Many women have tried going bra-less and recorded a miraculous improvement in their health!

Not having children or having them later in life

Women who have had not had children, or who had their first child after age 30, have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. Being pregnant many times and at an early age reduces breast cancer risk. Being pregnant lowers a woman's total number of lifetime menstrual cycles, which may be the reason for this effect.

Using hormone therapy after menopause

Post-menopausal hormone therapy (PHT) has been used for many years to help relieve symptoms of menopause and to help prevent thinning of the bones (osteoporosis). This treatment goes by other names, such hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).

There are 2 main types of PHT. For women who still have a womb (uterus), doctors most often prescribe both estrogen and progesterone (known as combined hormone therapy or HT). Estrogen alone can increase the risk of cancer of the uterus, so progesterone is added to help prevent this. For women who no longer have a uterus (those who've had a hysterectomy), estroge alone can be prescribed. This is known as estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) or just estrogen therapy (ET).

Combined HT: Use of combined HT after menopause increases the risk of getting breast cancer. It may also increase the chances of dying from breast cancer. Breast cancer in women taking hormones may also be found at a more advanced stage, perhaps because it lowers how well mammograms work by increasing breast density. Five years after stopping HT, the breast cancer risk seems to drop back to normal.

ET: The use of estrogen alone does not seem to increase the risk of developing breast cancer very much, if at all. But when used long-term (for more than 10 years), some studies have found that ERT increases the risk of ovarian and breast cancer.

At this time, there seem to be few strong reasons to use PHT, other than for short-term relief of menopausal symptoms. Because there are other factors to think about, you should talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of using PHT. If you and your doctor decide to try PHT for symptoms of menopause, it is usually best to use it at the lowest dose that works for you and for as short a time as possible.

Not breast-feeding

Some studies have shown that breast-feeding slightly lowers breast cancer risk, especially if the breast-feeding lasts 1½ to 2 years. This could be because breast-feeding lowers a woman's total number of menstrual periods, as does pregnancy. But this has been a hard area to study. In countries such as the United States, breast-feeding for this long is uncommon.

Alcohol

The use of alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of getting breast cancer. Women who have one drink a day have a very small increased risk. Those who have 2 to 5 drinks daily have about 1½ times the risk of women who drink no alcohol. The American Cancer Society suggests limiting the amount you drink to one drink a day.

Smoking

In its review of several recent studies and meta-analyses, the panel, convened by the University of Toronto and chaired by the university's Neil Collishaw, M.D., found that associations between active smoking and both pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer are "consistent with causality." The panel also found that exposure to secondhand smoke was causally linked to breast cancer in premenopausal women.

Use of Body Sprays

Body sprays contains harmful chemicals called phthalates (pronounced thal-ates) that can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, cancer and reproductive problems. NRDC’s independent testing discovered phthalates in 86 percent (12 of 14) of air freshener products tested, including those marketed as “all-natural” or “unscented”—and none of the products tested listed phthalates on their labels

Being overweight or obese

Being overweight or obese is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, especially for women after change of life or if the weight gain took place during adulthood. The risk seems to be higher if the extra fat is around the waist.

But the link between weight and breast cancer risk is complex. And studies of fat in the diet as it relates to breast cancer risk have often given conflicting results. The American Cancer Society recommends you stay at a healthy weight throughout your life and avoid gaining too much weight.

Lack of exercise

Studies show that exercise reduces breast cancer risk. The only question is how much exercise is needed. One study found that as little as 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2½ hours of brisk walking per week reduced the risk by 18%. Walking 10 hours a week reduced the risk a little more. The American Cancer Society suggests that you exercise for 45 to 60 minutes 5 or more days a week.

Some Risk Factors

Age: The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. About 2 out of 3 women with invasive breast cancer are 55 or older when the cancer is found.

Genetic risk factors: About 5% to 10% of breast cancers are thought to be linked to inherited changes (mutations) in certain genes. The most common gene changes are those of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Women with these gene changes have up to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer during their lifetimes. Other gene changes may raise breast cancer risk, too.

Family history: Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose close blood relatives have this disease. The relatives can be from either the mother's or father's side of the family. Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer about doubles a woman's risk. It's important to note that most (over 85%) women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of this disease.

Personal history of breast cancer: A woman with cancer in one breast has a greater chance of getting a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast. This is different from a return of the first cancer (called recurrence).

Race: White women are slightly more likely to get breast cancer than African-American women. But African American women are more likely to die of breast cancer. At least part of the reason seems to be because African-American women have faster growing tumors, but we don't know why this is the case. Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women have a lower risk of getting and dying from breast cancer.

Dense breast tissue: Dense breast tissue means there is more gland tissue and less fatty tissue. Women with denser breast tissue have a higher risk of breast cancer. Dense breast tissue can also make it harder for doctors to spot problems on mammograms.

Certain benign (not cancer) breast problems: Women who have certain benign breast changes may have an increased risk of breast cancer. Some of these are more closely linked to breast cancer risk than others.

Lobular carcinoma in situ: Women with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) have a 7 to 11 times greater risk of developing cancer in either breast.

Menstrual periods: Women who began having periods early (before age 12) or who went through the change of life (menopause) after the age of 55 have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. They have had more menstrual periods and as a result have been exposed to more of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Breast radiation early in life: Women who have had radiation treatment to the chest area (as treatment for another cancer) earlier in life have a greatly increased risk of breast cancer. The risk varies with the patient's age when they had radiation. The risk from chest radiation is highest if the radiation were given during the teens, when the breasts were still developing. Radiation treatment after age 40 does not seem to increase breast cancer risk.

Treatment with DES: In the past, some pregnant women were given the drug DES (diethylstilbestrol) because it was thought to lower their chances of losing the baby (miscarriage). Recent studies have shown that these women have a slightly increased risk of getting breast cancer.