By Allen Brown
There are facts about breast cancer that everyone should be aware of to prevent cancer development. Realistically, there is no definite way to avoid breast cancer, the second most common cancer. However, there are measures one can use to lower the risk of developing it.
There are some risk factors women should be conscious of, which, if addressed, would lower the chance of developing the disease.
Information about your family history concerning cancer, breast self-exam benefits, alcohol intake risk, and lumps as breast cancer signs will be of great help to you as a woman.
A breast self-exam is a personal inspection of the breast for any lumps on your own. Women find this personal check-up beneficial for self-awareness, and they practice it often. They become familiar with their breasts, believing it is possible to detect when something is wrong. To do a breast exam, you use hands and eyes to examine any tissue changes in the breasts. If one notices any changes, it’s advisable to consult a health care provider.
Doctors and medical organizations do not, however, recommend this practice, even though women tend to believe it is helpful. Medical care providers caution against the assumption that breast self-exam can replace mammograms and professional check-ups. They insist that self-exams have never shown any significant impact on the prevention or detection of breast cancer, and encourage annual check-ups with your doctor as key to prevention.
It is important to be acquainted with your family medical history where breast cancer is concerned. You are more likely to get cancer, including breast cancer, if someone closely related to you has had it. This is especially serious if the persons affected are your immediate family members. To be on the safer side, consult your doctor for a breast cancer risk assessment. Your doctor might refer you to a specialist in family risk or a regional genetics center for assistance.
Before the assessment, find out as much as you can about your family history where cancer is concerned, as this information will help in the assessment process. The process will help you to establish the likelihood of developing the disease. If possible, you can request a genetic test to check if cancer runs in your family.
From the breast self-exam, you might detect some lumps in the breast. Normally, some breast tissues are bumpy and lumpy in texture. At times, a woman might have a new lump and go for tests only to find out it is not cancerous. Not all lumps in the breasts are a sign of breast cancer. Therefore, do not be anxious or make a hasty conclusion before you get an expert’s opinion.
The early detection of cancer makes it possible to treat the disease and increase the likelihood of survival. Pay attention to a lump that is near the armpit, collarbone, and breast. Also, if the breast is itching, has a discharge, the breast is disfigured, and is painful. The only way to establish if it is cancer symptoms is by a check-up. A lump does not always signal breast cancer.
To have wine once in a while is not bad health-wise. However, regular drinking increases the risk of breast cancer development. Alcohol increases the level of estrogen and other hormones that increase the positive hormone-receptor of breast cancer. This makes a woman vulnerable to the development of cancer. Alcohol is said to damage the DNA cells as well.
The women who drink, according to experts, increase cancer risk by 10% with every additional drink they have.
According to researchers, a woman who has had breast cancer in the past has a risk of recurrence of the disease. To lower the risk of getting breast cancer, it is advisable to stop alcohol consumption completely. This is advisable as it seems alcohol causes more harm to a woman’s health than the benefits she gets. If not able to stop, limit the level of the intake.
The above facts are essential for every woman to be aware of. Remind yourself, if you find a lump in your breast during a self-exam, that not every lump is a sign of cancer. Mammograms and professional examinations are more reliable than a self-exam. Consider taking charge of your health where breast cancer is concerned. Information is said to be power. Now that you are aware of the four facts, follow through on their advice. You will be safer and at peace where the breast cancer risk is concerned.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here