Breast Cancer Prevention

 BREAST CANCER PREVENTION

Out of the entire female body, the breast cells are the most likely to degenerate and become cancerous. It is therefore important to know the factors increasing the risk of breast cancer and those reducing it.

FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE RISK

• Genetic mutations: It is estimated that 5% of breast cancers are related to a hereditary change in these two genes, which are charged with stopping cell growth: BRCA1 (found on chromosome 17) and BRCA2 (found on chromosome 13).
• Hormones: Hormone replacement therapy, usually given as patches after menopause (especially the combination of estrogens and progesterone) increase the risk of breast cancer. Taking oral contraceptives (the pill) over long periods of time also increases the risk, although to a lesser degree than hormones for menopause.

• Alcohol consumption: Even in socially acceptable low doses, alcohol increases the risk of cancer. It has been shown that for every 10g of alcohol (half a glass of wine) per day, the risk of breast cancer increases by 7%. Women who drink 35-44 g of alcohol per day (considered a moderate dose) have a 32% greater risk of breast cancer than those who don’t drink.
• Obesity: The higher the body mass index (BMI), the greater the risk of breast cancer, especially after menopause. It is estimated that women who weigh more than 82.2kg (181 pounds) have nearly triple the possibility of developing breast cancer as compared to those who weigh less than 58.7 kg (129 pounds).
• Breast size: Women with larger breasts should dedicate more care to breast cancer prevention, due to their increased risk of having it before menopause.

Exposure to ionizing radiation, such as radiation therapy used for acne treatment, hypertrophy of the thymus or Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When radiation exposure occurs before the age of 20, the risk is greater. However, there is research that shows that radiation therapy used for breast cancer treatment does not increase the risk of the healthy breast becoming malignant.

— Electromagnetic (non-ionizing) radiation should also be avoided, such as that given off by electric blankets for heating a bed, when they are plugged in. according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania (United States), these devices can promote breast cancer in premenopausal women.

RISK REDUCING FACTORS

• Physical Activity: Getting at least 4 hours of aerobic exercise per week reduces the risk of breast cancer by 30%.
• Less time exposed to natural estrogens: throughout her lifetime, a woman is exposed to estrogens produced in her ovaries. The less time the breast cells are subjected to the estrogens’ action, the lower the risk of developing a cancer.

The following life events reduce exposure time to natural estrogens:

— Pregnancy: During gestation, estrogen production in the ovaries decreases. The more the number of pregnancies, the less the risk. In addition, it has been shown that having a first full-term gestation before the age of 20 reduces the likelihood of premenopausal breast cancer.

— Breastfeeding.

— Delayed menarche (first period) and early menopause.

• Diet low in Fat and Meat: Despite the fact that some research has had questionable results, a relationship between breast cancer and certain types of diets, such as those high in fat and meat, is currently well demonstrated. More details are given about this interesting topic in my next post.