Don't risk your life when it comes to breast cancer
Risks. We take them every day, don’t we?
We risk our lives when we get behind the wheel of our cars, we risk losing our money when we invest in the stock market and we risk losing friendships when we don’t show up for a lunch date. Every day, life is just a risk.
When it comes to breast cancer some of us have higher risks than others, but they’re risks just the same.
Today there is so much written about when, whether and why to have an annual mammogram that the best plan is to do a little research yourself, talk to your health care provider and perform self-exams each month.
The Centers for Disease Control states that in 2009, which is the most recent year numbers are available, 211,731 women and 2,001 men in the U.S. were diagnosed with breast cancer. In that year 40,676 women and 400 men died of the disease.
Susan G. Komen Foundation’s website says, “Many factors are linked to breast cancer risk. Some factors affect risk a great deal and others by only a small amount.
“Some risk factors you can’t change. For example, the two most common risk factors for breast cancer, being a woman and getting older, are not things you can change. Other factors you may be able to control. For example, leading a healthy lifestyle may help lower your chances of getting breast cancer.
“Understanding which factors may affect your risk can help you work with your health care provider to address any concerns you may have and develop a breast cancer screening plan that is right for you.”
We all know what leading a healthy lifestyle is: exercise regularly and limit saturated fats, red meat and alcohol. Komen’s website says, “Those who drink alcohol should try to get enough folic acid, either through a multivitamin or foods like oranges, orange juice, leafy green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals.”
Actually all of us need whole grains, not just the drinkers among us. They recommend choosing 100 percent whole grain foods like brown rice, quinoa, whole grain breads and cereals and, my personal favorite, popcorn. We should eat at least two and a half cups of fruits and vegetables each day and supplement our diet with calcium and vitamin D.
That’s 600 IU of vitamin D and 1,200 mg of calcium for women aged 51 to 70 and just a little less calcium, 1,000 mg for men in that age group.
And, it will come as no surprise to you to know that following those healthy guidelines will also reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and osteoporosis, so why not try it? It’s never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Talk to your primary care provider about your family risks of cancer, ask which screening tests are right for you and at what age you should have them and how frequently thereafter. Have the clinician give you a clinical breast exam at least every three years starting at age twenty and every year starting on your fortieth birthday.
Finally, just to end on an upbeat note, you may be pleased to know that there is no proven cancer link to hair dyes or deodorant or antiperspirant use. There is little evidence that regular exposure to things like power lines and electric blankets increases the risk of breast cancer nor does wearing an underwire bra.
It’s amazing what you can learn by researching on the Internet, isn’t it?
Kathy Hubbard is a trustee on Bonner General Hospital Foundation Board. She can be reached at 264-4029 and kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.