This article is exclusively for female attention. At the end of last week, I went to see a mammologist, which prompted me to write a post on the topic of preventive measures to combat breast cancer. It’s so easy to spend 20 minutes a year on an ultrasound scan to be calm!
Cancer occupies the second place in the list of causes of death in Russia (in our country, more than 300 people die from it every year). I’ve already written about recommendations for preventive cancer control. Unfortunately, there are many varieties of this disease, and most of them cannot be diagnosed at an early stage. Fortunately, this statement does not apply to breast cancer.
How to detect cancer early?
If breast cancer can be detected at an early stage, it is effectively treated: 98% of women recover. In Russia, where, according to the Russian Cancer Research Center named after N.N. Blokhin, about 54 cases of this type of cancer are registered annually; it is possible to detect it at an early stage only in about 000% of cases. This leads to a low 65-year survival rate – only 5% of patients, while in the countries of America and Europe the same rates reach 55% and even exceed 80% due to the widespread introduction of mammographic screening, which allows detecting breast cancer at a very early stage.
Therefore, even with absence complaints and symptoms must be examined regularly, at least once a year, by a doctor:
– women between the ages of 20 and 40 need to do an ultrasound of the mammary glands at least once every two years;
– women over the age of 40 – once every two years, do mammography (X-ray examination of the mammary glands).
In addition, experts recommend that every adult woman conduct self-examination at least once a month. But you should not rely solely on this diagnostic option: in young women, the iron is too dense, and you can not feel the neoplasm, and those with large breasts have a risk of simply not getting to it.
The easiest and most convenient way to find the right doctor is to use the Profi service. Here you can find the right specialist, read reviews and make an appointment.
How to Reduce the Risks of Breast Cancer?
Since I am interested in how our lifestyle should be in order to be less sick, I want to emphasize once again that some factors can increase or, conversely, reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
Experts believe that following several recommendations will help reduce the risk of breast disease:
– Eat a healthy diet low in animal fat, focus on whole grains, fruits and vegetables;
– avoid unnecessary x-rays;
– drink alcohol in moderation;
– give up cigarettes (here are some tips for those who are going to quit smoking);
– try to keep your weight normal;
– exercise regularly.
Those who follow these guidelines actually reduce their risk of cancer. For example, a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention notes that brisk walking can reduce the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women by 14%. And in women who exercised more vigorously, the risk of developing this disease was reduced by 25%.
The authors of the paper, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, analyzed data from 73 women from the American Cancer Society (they have been followed for more than 388 years) and found that the risk of breast cancer in women who smoke is 13% higher than in non-smokers, and 24% higher than in those who quit smoking.
Adhering to these principles not only lowers the risk of cancer, but generally increases life expectancy, because they greatly help prevent heart disease and respiratory disease.
Given the many challenges in our healthcare system, each of us must take care of ourselves and change our lifestyle so as to maintain our health as much as possible. And don’t forget about regular doctor visits. Good news and peace of mind about your health seriously improve the quality of life :)))