Breast Cancer Awareness

 

 
Part III

Will You Get Breast Cancer?

The Pill. Coffee. Sun. Confused about whether these and other factors put you at risk for breast cancer? Here's the latest thinking on when to worry—and when to relax.

Mammograms
There's a common misconception that radiation from annual mammograms causes breast cancer. But leading experts say it just isn't so. Mammograms expose you to only about 18 millirems of radiation per exam. Today's mammography machines emit significantly less radiation than machines of 30 years ago.

Caffeine
Good news: There's no need to skip your daily java fix. Several major studies—including one published this past January in the Annals of Epidemiology—have found absolutely no link between caffeine consumption and breast cancer.

Dairy
There are rumors that compounds in cow's milk contribute to breast cancer, but there's no evidence to support that, In fact, several studies—including a Norwegian study published in The International Journal of Cancer—have found that women who drank more than three glasses of milk every day had a lower incidence of breast cancer.

Lumpy breasts
Doctors have a scary name for lumpy breasts: fibrocystic breast disease. But although the word "disease" may induce panic, lumpy breasts are extremely common and not linked to breast cancer. Having lumpy breasts makes breast self-exams even more important. You need to get a good sense of your breast-tissue texture so you can distinguish between merely fibrocystic changes and an actual new lump.

Bras
The bra rumor is based on the hypothesis set forth by husband-and-wife anthropologists a few years ago in the book Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras, in which they claimed that bras—especially underwire bras—constrict lymphatic tissue, allowing cancer-causing toxins to build up

Research has proven that bras—even tight-fitting ones—don't interfere with lymphatic drainage at all." There have been many large-scale studies of what increases breast-cancer risk, and none of them have found any connection between wearing a bra and breast cancer.

Having one drink (or more) a day
Women who have one alcoholic drink every day up their chances of getting breast cancer by about 9 percent from those of women who don't drink at all, according to a 1998 study done at the Harvard Medical School of Public Health in Boston. We found that breast-cancer risk increased by about 9 percent for every daily drink consumed. So is it safe to drink at all? Yes, in moderation, limiting your intake to a drink a day.

Piling on the pounds
Carrying extra weight means more than being self-conscious in a bathing suit: It may actually up your chances of getting breast cancer. After menopause, being overweight can increase your risk for breast cancer by up to 60 percent, according to one study. (Researchers are still unsure exactly how much weight gain is too much, so check with your doctor.)

Being a couch potato
There's plenty of evidence that going out and breaking a sweat can help lower breast-cancer risk. One study at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles found that women who participated in at least four hours of exercise a week during their premenopausal years had a 58 percent lower breast-cancer risk than women who were inactive. Studies have shown that exercise may increase your body's production of cancer-fighting cells. Aim for at least three 45-minute sessions a week.

Postponing motherhood
Women who have their first full-term pregnancy after 30 or never give birth at all are at slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer. Studies also suggest that breastfeeding offers a bit of protection against the disease, particularly against postmenopausal breast cancer.

Not eating your broccoli
A few florets a day may keep breast cancer at bay. Research at the Strang Cancer Prevention Center in New York found that women who daily ate a mixture of cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.) showed significant reductions in an estrogenic compound believed to cause breast cancer.

Note: Even leading experts are still scratching their heads over conflicting research in the following areas:

The Pill
A reassuring recent report in The New England Journal of Medicine found no link between Pill use and breast cancer. But other studies have found a slight connection.

A high-fat diet
Two recent Harvard Medical School of Public Health studies found that women who ate a low-fat diet weren't any less likely to get breast cancer than women who ate a diet higher in fat. Still other research says that eating monounsaturated fat (such as olive oil) may lower risk.

Sun exposure
Women who live in sunny areas have lower breast-cancer rates than women who don't. The likely reason: The sun's UVB rays enable your body to produce vitamin D, which may reduce breast-cancer risk


Extracted from MSN Health and Fitness – October 05, 2009