Various recently concluded studies have indicated that your risk for breast cancer might be a result of so many factors. In most cases, women more than 50 years of age develop the symptoms of breast cancer. Having a risk factor never means you are going to develop the disease, and, not every risk factor has the same effect. Various women have some risk factors but not all of them get breast cancer. Even if you have some breast cancer symptoms, you can do a lot by detecting it at an early stage through a simple mammography test. This test is available almost everywhere these days, and to search for the best lab, you just have to conduct an effortless research by typing ‘mammography test near me’ in the search bar, and you can find a huge rundown of reliable labs.
Breast cancer has emerged as one of the most fatal diseases claiming millions of lives every year across the globe. Over the past few decades, breast cancer cases have gone to a new high in India also with very little awareness about it. However, if it is detected at an early stage, it can be cured and prevented from spreading to other areas of the body. What’s more comforting is that the digital mammography cost in India is getting down with each passing year making it easier for the common women to go for the test early.
This blog talks about the risk factors associated with breast cancer:
Risk factors stand for some specific conditions and characteristics that play a very positive role in getting you the disease. The risk factors in breast cancer include both modifiable and non-modifiable. The risk factors that you cannot change include a breast cancer family history, or a woman getting older. And the risk factors that you can change include weight and the habit of taking wine in heavy amounts. Discussed below are the risk factors in greater detail:
1. Alcohol use
Modern science has proved that every drink you take increases your risk of breast cancer. Researchers suggest that women who take one alcoholic beverage a day increase as much as 10% risk in comparison to those who don’t drink at all. And, this percentage goes to around 20% when the number of drinks goes to 3 per day, as per the American Cancer Society.
2. Your weight
Though excessive weight is the mother of a large number of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and even heart attacks, it has a very close connection with the risk of breast cancer too. Women who gain excessive weight after menopause might develop breast cancer. What happens is that your ovaries stop producing the sex hormone estrogen. As a result, most estrogens then start coming from fat tissue. Estrogen feeds breast cancers. Women who are overweight also might have higher levels of insulin in the body, and this condition also has a link to the risk of cancer as well as diabetes.
Therefore, keeping your weight under control is one of the best ways to prevent breast cancer. Since gaining weight can be prevented, it is called a modifiable risk factor. You should gain only a healthy weight to support your healthy ageing. According to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, women who lost 20 pounds reduced the risk of breast cancer by 26%.
3. A sedentary lifestyle
The lesser bodily movements you make, the higher your risk for breast cancer. A sedentary lifestyle gives birth to a large number of diseases, and breast cancer is one of them. Staying physically fit and active helps bring down your chances of getting breast cancer and a bunch of other lifestyle diseases.
The American Cancer Society is of the view that every woman should get involved in at least 150 to 300 minutes of physical exercise without fail every week. Brisk walking, running, and running are the best ones. The more activities you do, the more benefits you have. You should get in touch with an expert before finalizing things about your fitness regimen.
4. Early menstruation/late menopause
In case you are among the ones who started menstruating before turning 12, then also you are in a risky zone when it comes to developing breast cancer. It is because of the increased number of years and exposure of your breast tissues to estrogen. Entering menopause late also increases the risk for the same reason. Therefore, discuss your menstrual patterns and history with the doctors in detail when looking for screening options for your breast cancer.
5. Hormone intake
There are instances in which certain hormone intake also can increase the risk of breast cancer. Some birth control methods also make use of hormones that can take the breast cancer risk up. These may include but are not limited to the following:
● Birth control skin patches
● Vaginal rings
● Birth control implants
● Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
● Oral contraceptives
● Birth control shot.
All things said and done, the breast cancer is a medical condition that can be prevented as well as treated if detected at early stages. You can make lifestyle changes and work on the risk factors that can trigger the disease. At least, you can play a crucial role in all the modifiable factors. As far as non-modifiable factors are concerned, you can keep a close watch on them and seek consultations from your doctors.
Concluding Remarks
The Sadhu Vaswani Medical Centre was founded at Shantiniketan in New Delhi on 19th February 1992 with the sole purpose of serving people. The Centre has now earned the distinction of being one of the most formidable medical facilities in the National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR). It boasts a well-equipped, NABL accredited, state-of-the-art lab for quick diagnosis and superior treatment. Some other notable facilities at the centre include X-ray, Ultrasound, Echocardiography and Mammography apart from the best ultrasound centre in Delhi.