It’s breast cancer awareness month, and with one in eleven Singaporean at risk of getting the disease in their lifetime, there’s no better time to do your best by your breasts and learn how to protect yourself.
The Singapore Cancer Society is providing funding assistance for mammogram screenings over a limited time period. Female Singaporeans or Permanent Residents 50 years and above can enjoy the funding assistance of S$25 at participating breast screening centres from 1 Oct 2016 to 31 Jan 2017.
In the meantime, here are ten tips to help you take charge of the breast things in life:
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We’ve got bad news for wine fans: there’s evidence that drinking alcohol increases your breast cancer risk. Even just three drinks a week gives you a 15 per cent greater risk of developing the disease than those who rarely drink. This is because alcohol can affect hormone levels.
Women who are overweight or obese are at increased risk of developing breast cancer. The hormone, oestrogen, plays a pivotal role because as well as being produced by the ovaries, it is also produced by fat. A good rule of thumb is to maintain a healthy BMI (20-25), or to measure your waistline regularly. For women, anything over 80 cm indicates you’re overweight and your risk of cancer and heart disease increases.
If you’re going to take one supplement to improve your breast health, choose anti-inflammatory fish oil. A study showed post-menopausal women who took fish oil regularly slashed their risk of developing breast cancer by one-third.
(Read more: 5 Things You Never Knew About Breast Implants)
What we eat affects our cancer risk, so load up on fruit and veg to get your essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Folate – which eaten regularly can lower your breast cancer risk by 40 per cent – os found in green veggies such as spinach and broccoli, and legumes, including lentils and chickpeas. A healthy diet of at least five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit a day may help reduce your risk of many diseases, including cancer.
We don’t need to tell you that smoking is one of the worse things you can do for your health. In terms of breast cancer specifically, a US study shows smoking and passive smoking may indeed increase your risk. There is an association between active smoking and breast cancer risk – specifically for women who started smoking at an early age and before their first pregnancy. So put down those ciggies already!
While stress isn’t directly linked to tumour growth, it comprises our immunity, which can lead to cancer development. When we’re stressed, we’re more likely to make poor lifestyle choices such as drinking alcohol, eating processed foods and not getting enough sleep, which can all contribute. Make relaxation a priority by regularly doing things that help you unwind, such as walking, meditating and reading.
(Read more: 10 Ways To Relieve Stress For A Healthier Life)
Nine of out 10 women who get breast cancer don’t have a family history but some genes do increase your risk. If any close relatives (mum, sister or daughter) have been diagnosed, it can mean your risk is twice as high as those with no family history. Talk to your doctor about extra screening, so any abnormalities can be detected early.
Being active is one of the easiest ways to lower your breast cancer risk. Women who work out regularly can reduce their risk by as much as 25 per cent, as exercise reduces the size of fat cells, which contain oestrogen and stimulate the growth of breast cancer. Moderate-intensity physical activity can also help prevent weight gain, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Aim for 20-30 minutes a day, even if it’s just housework or walking the dog.
Nothing is more important in preventing breast cancer than checking yourself regularly. Early detection of breast cancer is the best way of ensuring you get the right treatment as early as possible, making self-checking and being breast aware vitally important. You should be checking your breasts at the same time every month, and extend your examination all the way up to the armpit.
(Read more: Here’s How To Perform A Breast Self-Examination At Home)
A new way to help protect yourself is to find out how dense your breasts are – so ask your doctor the next time you go for a visit. Breasts are made of fatty tissue as well as fibrous tissue, and if yours are more fibrous (common in younger women or if you have smaller breasts) it can make mammograms harder to read. Having dense breasts can mean your risk of developing breast cancer is six times higher than normal, so you may need to have more regular check-ups.
(Text by Ashley Cameron, Women’s Fitness (Bauer) / Additional Reporting by Natalya Molok)