Great News For Women - Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer

By Veronica Carrillo

There is overwhelming evidence that a woman's genetic makeup and the environment that we live in are closely related to some women being diagnosed with breast cancer. The positive and negative impact of a woman's lifestyle also greatly heightens the risk of this type of cancer. Here are a few issues to think about when looking at what you can do to lower your risk of this deadly disease:

Obesity after menopause increases the risk: With the growing number of protective measures being taken to cut down on the risks of breast cancer before menopause starts, studies show that obesity clearly increases the chance of cancer after the full phase of menopause is completed. Some doctors have even stated that finding the tumors while preforming an exam or a mammogram are harder to sense because of the tumors feeling or looking like fatty tissue rather than the tumor itself because of the obesity.

While it is a correlation between obesity and cancer, estimates show that being overweight counts for about one in seven men and astoundingly one in five women contributing to some form of cancer related deaths in the US alone.

Some women have also inherited 2 genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. These women are more susceptible to breast cancer. They need to get the treatment done in the initial stages itself, so they have to be on the lookout for symptoms of this cancer. So, naturally, you are on the lookout for all the possible breast cancer symptoms, which might forecast the prospective onset of this dread disease. These symptoms include an unexplained lump, which may be hard or tender, in the breast. You may possibly also find this lump underneath your armpit. You also need to look for other cancer symptoms like the skin getting red and itchy. You may find one breast swelling abnormally. That is because the cancerous cells in the body are absorbing all the blood supplied to the breast region.

Alcohol and Cancer: While it is true that a glass of wine a day reduces many health problems, other alcohols such as hard liquors, mixed drinks, etc., actually increases the risk of breast cancer. Yet even with lower doses of daily alcohol usage, breast cancer is increased by 35%. And that number increases by 7% with each drink per day in what is called as DDS (Dose-Dependant-State).. Good news however; studies have shown that decreasing your intake of alcohol or quitting altogether will reverse the risk.

In this respect, a US study in 2005 by the SWHR identified the widespread belief that breast cancer was by far the most feared disease amongst women notwithstanding the fact that the rate of mortality in women from heart disease is so much greater. It is noteworthy that evidence from doctors has suggested that many women greatly exaggerate their vulnerability to contracting this particular cancer. - 30427

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