Breast Cancer: How changes in lifestyle can reduce risk

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. WHO estimates that 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, and there were 685,000 fatalities worldwide. By the end of 2020, 7.8 million women had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the last five years, making it the most common cancer in the world. In India, the lifetime risk of breast cancer is one in twenty-eight women. For urban women, it is higher (1 in 22) than for the rural group (1 in 60).

Breast cancer can be cured, and chances of survival are increased if it is found early. Additionally, it affects younger age groups more often—the age range of 25 to 50 accounts for nearly 50% of cases. In India, breast cancer survival rates are low since the disease is discovered at a later stage. Knowing how to recognise it and make an early diagnosis is the only way to do this. Although there is no evidence that leading a healthier lifestyle may prevent breast cancer, it is thought that reducing your exposure to risk factors and adopting more healthy habits could help to reduce the risk.

Obesity, excessive alcohol use, family history of breast cancer, gene mutations, reproductive history (age when menstruation started and at first pregnancy), tobacco use, and postmenopausal hormone therapy are some factors that raise the risk of breast cancer. Stress, lack of exercise, and other lifestyle factors are also linked to the development of breast cancer.

In addition to using mammography and other acceptable measures to detect breast cancer, you can adjust a few aspects of your lifestyle to maintain good health and lower your risk of developing breast cancer, such as:

• Exercise: Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to enhance your health and reduce your chance of breast cancer. Physically active people are less likely to develop breast cancer, as well as other malignancies and disorders such as heart disease and osteoporosis. You should strive for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week to reap these health benefits. If you’re new to fitness or haven’t been active in a long time, begin cautiously and gradually build up to longer sessions.

• Stop intake of alcohol: Alcohol consumption is strongly correlated with breast cancer and women who frequently drink have a higher risk of acquiring breast cancer. So cutting down on alcohol is essential.

• Balanced diet: Your chances of preventing breast cancer increase if you eat well. It is recommended that you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Consider consuming foods high in antioxidants. Berries, goji berries, carrots, squash, pumpkin, beets, sweet potatoes, walnuts, leafy greens, mushrooms, pomegranates, and algae are the foods with the highest antioxidant content. Increased vitamin D intake can also reduce the risk of developing cancer. Vitamin D is present in some foods, including egg yolks and wild salmon. The most common source of vitamin D, though, is exposure to sun.

• Quit smoking: One of the main causes of several cancers, including breast cancer, is tobacco use. According to research, women who smoke have a considerably higher risk of developing breast cancer. The risk is 35% higher for women who start smoking before their first pregnancy and continue for more than 20 years than for those who never smoked.

• Keep a healthy weight, particularly after menopause: Physical activity may help prevent breast cancer by lowering body fat, which is a risk factor for the disease. Either cut back on calories consumed or increase calorie expenditure to lose weight

• Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding lowers both your and your child’s risk of getting cancer. By suppressing ovulation, breastfeeding can also help reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer

• Go for screening: When a woman is being screened for breast cancer, she is being checked for symptoms and early warning indicators. To detect malignancies early, screening is intended. Cancer in its early stages is easier to treat than cancer in its advanced stages. Mammography, a unique series of x-rays of the breast, is used for breast cancer screening. According to studies, women who regularly undergo mammograms after 40 years of age, have a 10% to 25% lower risk of dying from breast cancer than those who do not.

Being able to perform a self-breast inspection, which every woman should start regularly doing after the age of 30, is the simplest method of detecting breast cancer early.

The author is a Associate Consultant in Medical Oncology, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai

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