About Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Prevention
Breast cancer will affect one in nine Canadian women in her lifetime, and this is why it is so important that women protect their breast health. While increasing age and a family history are the top two risk factors for breast cancer, there are factors related to breast cancer that can be controlled:
Physical Activity and a Healthy Lifestyle
Studies have shown that excess weight and weight gain are related to an increased risk of breast cancer. In addition, excessive alcohol consumption seems to increase one’s risk for breast cancer. It is important to maintain a healthy body weight and drink only in moderation, if at all.
Childbirth and Breast Feeding
Having several children before age 35 has been shown to decrease a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, and having a first child after 35 has been shown to increase the risk. There also seems to be a correlation between women who breast feed having a reduced risk of breast cancer.
Hormone Usage
Researchers have conducted in-depth studies on oral contraceptives and their relationship to breast cancer. Some research has indicated a slightly increased risk while other research has shown no difference. However, it has been shown that hormone replacement therapy (HRT), while it may help to relieve menopausal symptoms, also increases the risk of breast cancer.
For those at high risk for breast cancer, there are medical and surgical options to prevent breast cancer before it develops.
Medications and Chemoprevention
Chemoprevention is the use of medications to reduce a person’s chance of developing cancer. The patient and their healthcare team may want to discuss chemoprevention if the risk of breast cancer is higher than the risk of other women their age. Estrogen plays an important role in the development of breast cancer. Drugs that can block the action of estrogen have been studied to see if they can prevent breast cancer. Two of these drugs are tamoxifen and raloxifene. More studies will be done to find out the effectiveness of these promising drugs.
Surgery
For women at the highest risk, removing the ovaries (oophorectomy) or the breasts (mastectomy) have been proven to lower breast cancer risk. The amount of benefit gained depends on the age at which the surgery is performed. A preventive mastectomy is a highly controversial issue and any woman considering this option should carefully research the situation before making a decision.