CDI Miami | Tuesday April 3, 2018

How to Decrease Your Breast Cancer Risk

prevent breast cancer miami

Fear of breast cancer is widespread, yet many people don’t realize that adopting protective living habits may help keep it at bay. So which strategies mitigate the onset of breast cancer?

Regular mammograms and breast cancer screening is touted as the most effective way to reduce breast cancer deaths, although experts continue to debate who should be screened, how often, and at what age. One woman in eight in the United States will develop it in the course of a lifetime. The American Cancer Society estimates that this year 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed, and 40,610 women will die from the disease.

One of the most important preventative measures is to not smoke. Although smoking has fallen precipitously in the last half-century, there are still many people who smoke every day. An editorial in The Journal of Clinical Oncology last year stated that as many as 20,000 women in the US continue to smoke even after a diagnosis of breast cancer. The authors, Dr. Barbara A. Parker and John P. Pierce of the University of California, San Diego, said breast cancer patients who quit smoking can add significantly to the benefits of postoperative chemotherapy and radiation.

Another significant factor is excess weight. As body mass index, or B.M.O., rises, so does a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, especially if she carries much of her excess weight around her waist. That’s because abdominal fat is particularly metabolically active and produces growth hormones like estrogen that stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.

As for the best diet, it is widely recommended to follow the same diet that has proven effective against breast cancer. Eating a largely plant-based diet that emphasizes fiber-rich vegetables, fruits and whole grains, minimized protein foods like red meat that are rich in saturated fats, and includes few if any sugar-sweetened foods and drinks.

Seek out vegetables that are rich in carotenoids, the orange-colored plant pigments that are precursors of vitamin A. These include not just sweet potatoes, carrots and winter squash, but also dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, as well as fruits like cantaloupe and tomatoes.

Additionally, the American Cancer Society suggests that women limit their consumption of red meat (beef, pork, and lamb) to two meals a week and greatly limit or avoid processed meats like bacon, sausage, luncheon meats and hot dogs.

Now to a very important component: adequate exercise. Not only can regular exercise help to prevent breast cancer and promote recovery from the disease, it also protects against many other chronic ills and can help women achieve and maintain a normal body weight.

Get your yearly 3d mammogram and breast cancer screening at CBCC! Early detection is the best way to fight breast cancer. Call 800-371-0002 to schedule your appointment. The Center for Diagnostic Imaging in Miami also offers CT Scans, MRIs and other diagnostic imaging services in Miami.