Breast cancer may be prevented through active, healthy lifestyle

When breast cancer runs in your family you may be worried about getting it. Conversely, if there is no history of the disease in your lineage you may not be concerned with it at all. A new study reveals that you would be mistaken to think for a moment that you are somehow immune to the disease simply because no one in your family has had it.

Recently the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund took a look at all of the evidence linking breast cancer with overall health and found some interesting information. The study published a shocking figure, that over 70,000 cases of breast cancer in the United States, every year, are preventable. That, according to Susan Higginbotham, PhD., is “almost 40 percent of breast cancer cases” in this country.

This means that for every 10 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in any given year, four of them were preventable. This is huge. There has always been talk of how cancer is a preventable disease, but this estimate makes it glaringly obvious that a healthy lifestyle has the potential to save your life in regards to this disease.

So, what does the organization mean when it talks about the disease being preventable? Well, according to Medical News Today, the study looked at diet, activity levels, and alcohol consumption and made recommendations that women seek to have lean body mass, get 30 minutes of activity every day, limit daily alcoholic drinks to one, and breastfeed their infants.

The same old recommendations still apply as well: women should give themselves monthly breast examinations beginning in their twenties and get an annual mammogram after the age of 40. This type of care can catch cancer in its early stages, encouraging fast treatment and better success in fighting the disease.

Many of us have lost loved ones to this disease. Although it is talked about now more than ever, there are still many questions that women have. Don’t assume you know the best answer. Many people think they are immune if the cancer doesn’t run in their family and we know now, that simply isn’t the case. Be aware of your risks and do what you can to prevent the disease. Encourage your sisters and friends to be informed about breast health and together we can stand strong against breast cancer.