Contents:
- Medical Video: 8 ways to reduce your cancer risk
- How to reduce the risk of hereditary breast cancer
- 1. Keep your weight in the normal range
- 2. Limit consumption of alcohol and processed meat
- 3. Increase physical activity and exercise 30 minutes a day
- 4. Don't smoke
- 5. Breastfeeding
- 6. Avoid birth control pills
- 7. Perform a health check
- 8. Drug hormonal therapy
Medical Video: 8 ways to reduce your cancer risk
One risk factor for breast cancer is heredity. If you have family members who have breast cancer, then your risk for breast cancer is also greater. What's more, if those who suffer from cancer are family members from the first level, such as mothers, sisters, or daughters. Of course your risk is greater.
One theory says that if you have a first-degree family member who has breast cancer, your risk of developing breast cancer is doubled. Meanwhile, if you have two first-degree family members who have cancer, the risk of your cancer will increase to five times.
However, don't be discouraged first. Risk factors for breast cancer are not only offspring, but also can be from the environment. You really can't control the risk factors of heredity, but you might be able to control risk factors from the environment. For this reason, it is important for you to adopt a healthy lifestyle as an effort to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
How to reduce the risk of hereditary breast cancer
Here are some ways you can reduce the risk of breast cancer if you have offspring.
1. Keep your weight in the normal range
Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. Fat that accumulates in the body, especially in the stomach, can produce more estrogen which can increase the risk of breast cancer.
In addition, being overweight is also associated with other types of cancer, such as prostate, lung, intestinal and kidney cancer. So, if you are overweight, try starting now to lose your weight. Losing weight can be done by changing your eating habits and exercising regularly.
2. Limit consumption of alcohol and processed meat
By eating nutritious foods, you can reduce your risk of cancer. Try to eat vegetables and fruits every day, at least 5 servings. Choose foods that contain little fat and calories. This is done to avoid you from obesity.
In addition, limit consumption of processed meat. A report from the WHO cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer states that large amounts of processed meat consumption can increase the risk of certain types of cancer. If you like to drink alcohol, you should limit or even stop the habit from now on.
3. Increase physical activity and exercise 30 minutes a day
Regular exercise, in addition to getting a normal weight, is also done to reduce the risk of cancer, especially breast cancer. When many fat cells accumulate in the body, additional estrogen will be produced. Breast cancer cells that are exposed to estrogen can increase the risk of breast cancer.
You are advised to exercise for at least 150 minutes per week or 30 minutes per day. Not only that, you are also advised to be active every day. Reduce sedentary activities, such as sitting, lying down, watching television, playing the game computers, and so on.
4. Don't smoke
Smoking is associated with various types of cancer, such as cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, breast, cervix (cervix), and kidneys. In fact, if you are not a smoker, you are also still at risk for lung cancer from exposure to cigarette smoke.
Therefore, if you are a smoker, stop smoking from now on. And if you are not a smoker, then stay away from cigarette smoke. By avoiding cigarettes, not only do you avoid the risk of cancer, you also avoid the risk of heart disease and stroke.
5. Breastfeeding
If you have just given birth, try to give exclusive milk to your baby. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. In addition, breastfeeding is also very beneficial for your baby's health.
6. Avoid birth control pills
The use of birth control pills, especially if you are over 35 years old, can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. This risk will disappear when you stop using birth control pills. If you have offspring of breast cancer, you should choose another contraception to prevent pregnancy.
7. Perform a health check
To find out how much your cancer risks, it's a good idea to see your doctor. Your doctor will see how much you risk from your family history of breast cancer, who is suffering and at what age. You may need to do several tests, such as a mammogram. Women aged 40 years or older must screen mammograms every year.
8. Drug hormonal therapy
For those of you who have a very strong breed of breast cancer, the use of hormonal therapy drugs can reduce the risk of breast cancer. There are four hormonal therapy drugs that have been shown to reduce the risk of positive hormone receptor breast cancer, namely tamoxifen, Evista, Aromasin, and Arimidex.
