What Women MUST Know About Breast Cancer
By: Coach Dee Martin
What is breast cancer? Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells which is also referred to as a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy.
Just about every woman in America knows someone who has experienced breast cancer or experienced it themselves. This devastating and deadly disease continues to affect the lives of women and families. About 1 in 8 women in the United States — 12% or about 12 out of every 100— can expect to develop breast cancer over the course of an entire lifetime.
Just about every woman in America knows someone who has experienced breast cancer or experienced it themselves. This devastating and deadly disease continues to affect the lives of women and families. About 1 in 8 women in the United States — 12% or about 12 out of every 100— can expect to develop breast cancer over the course of an entire lifetime.
- In 2015, there are more than 2.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.
- A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
- About 40,290 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2015 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989. Women under 50 have experienced larger decreases. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
- For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
- Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2015, it's estimated that just fewer than 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers.
- White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African-American women. However, in women under 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women than white women. Overall, African-American women are more likely to die of breast cancer. The risk of developing and dying from breast cancer is lower in Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women.
- *Statistics given can be found on www.breastcancer.org
Here are 8 risk factors you can control to help prevent breast cancer:
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Eat healthy and embrace a diet high in vegetables and fruit. Be sure to avoid sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates and fatty foods as much as possible. Eat lean protein such as fish or chicken breast and eat red meat in moderation, if any at all. Eat whole grains.
Avoid weight gain and becoming overweight. Obesity raises the risk of breast cancer after menopause.
Exercise. Evidence is growing that exercise can reduce breast cancer risk. The American Cancer Society recommends engaging in 45-60 minutes of physical exercise 5 or more days a week.
Avoid stress. Although stress is not directly linked to causing cancer, I believe it would be fair to say that stress could be one of the many components in lowering immune systems and therefore making us more susceptible to cancer and a faster progression of the disease.
Avoid weight gain and becoming overweight. Obesity raises the risk of breast cancer after menopause.
Exercise. Evidence is growing that exercise can reduce breast cancer risk. The American Cancer Society recommends engaging in 45-60 minutes of physical exercise 5 or more days a week.
Avoid stress. Although stress is not directly linked to causing cancer, I believe it would be fair to say that stress could be one of the many components in lowering immune systems and therefore making us more susceptible to cancer and a faster progression of the disease.
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Don’t smoke. Smoking is associated with and increases the risk of breast cancer in some women according to research.
Avoid hormone replacement therapy. Menopausal hormone therapy increases the risk for breast cancer. Because the female hormone estrogen stimulates breast cell growth, exposure to estrogen over long periods of time, without any breaks, can increase the risk of breast cancer.
Get regular breast cancer screenings. Follow your doctor’s recommendations to get regular screenings. Mammograms are typically recommended, however, if your breasts become dense or are already very dense, you should ask your doctor about ultrasound or MRI screenings for a more thorough examination.
Recent oral contraceptive use. Using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) appears to slightly increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer, but only for a limited period of time. Women who stopped using oral contraceptives more than 10 years ago do not appear to have any increased breast cancer risk.
Avoid hormone replacement therapy. Menopausal hormone therapy increases the risk for breast cancer. Because the female hormone estrogen stimulates breast cell growth, exposure to estrogen over long periods of time, without any breaks, can increase the risk of breast cancer.
Get regular breast cancer screenings. Follow your doctor’s recommendations to get regular screenings. Mammograms are typically recommended, however, if your breasts become dense or are already very dense, you should ask your doctor about ultrasound or MRI screenings for a more thorough examination.
Recent oral contraceptive use. Using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) appears to slightly increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer, but only for a limited period of time. Women who stopped using oral contraceptives more than 10 years ago do not appear to have any increased breast cancer risk.
For more detailed information about breast health awareness, click on this link to access an easy-to-reference information brochure from Sisters Network about breast cancer awareness. Sisters Network is a leading voice and only national African American breast cancer survivorship organization in the United States. Their headquarters are in Houston, Texas. To find out more about this organization, visit their website at: http://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/
If you want to get started on your journey to living your fittest life ever, and need some coaching and accountability to stay on track while on your healthy lifestyle journey, please don’t hesitate to contact me at dee@fittestlifeever.com or visit my website at www.fittestlifeever.com.
Do you have a question or topic for Coach Dee?
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Meet, Devona Gatlin Martin, also affectionately known as “Coach Dee”! She is a Certified Health Coach, Certified Soul Grooves Dance Fitness Instructor, Health and Wellness Product Distributor, and Entrepreneur at heart. She specializes in helping women lose weight, eat healthy, get active, reduce stress, and feel good about themselves. Contact Coach Dee now! Check out more about Dee and the other LWR Contributors here! |
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