Risk Factors and Strategies

Risk Factors and Strategies

There are risk factors that are under your control. The foods you eat and the toxins that you choose to put in your body is an area within your control. The obvious toxins tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption can be eliminated, as they are associated with so many cancers and disease processes in our bodies.

Obesity, a diet high in saturated fats, lack of exercise, and environmental pollutants are also linked to the development of breast cancer. Radiation exposure (in levels much higher than mammography requires for screening) has deleterious effects on normal cellular function. Free radical formation is thought to be at the root of the aforementioned factors and therefore, vitamins, antioxidants, and a healthy lifestyle are certainly an option for those who choose to be proactive.

All women may want to adopt these strategies since they are all, by virtue of being female, at risk. The incidence of breast cancer has increased over the past 25 years from 1 in 15 to 1 in 8. Certainly our lifestyles have been altered during that time period and we have the power to alter them in a positive manner. 

In addition to lifestyle and dietary modification, there are several options for women at high risk. If you are premenapausal and at a significant risk, your physician may recommend you take a drug called tamoxifen. In a recent study, the National Cancer Institute and National Surgical Breast and Bowel Project were able to show a 44% reduction in the development of breast cancer in women at high risk. It works by blocking estrogen receptors in the breast and therefore prevents the cells with the potential for cancer from dividing. The decision to go on tamoxifen should be discussed at length with your team of physicians, as there are potential side effects along with its benefits.