Take steps that could help lower your risk of getting breast cancer. Staying at a healthy weight, getting regular exercise, and limiting how much alcohol you drink are ways you can help lower your risk and be healthy.
Watch your weight. Being overweight or obese is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. So, choose foods that will help you get to and stay at a healthy weight.
Here’s how to start:
• Balance the number of calories you eat with your physical activity.
• Eat at least 2½ cups of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day.
• Try to choose whole grains instead of processed (refined) grains and sugars.
• Limit the amount of red meat and processed meat you eat, especially those high in fat. Exercise. Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, or an equal combination, preferably spread throughout the week.
• Moderate activities make you breathe hard, such as walking briskly, leisurely bicycling, mowing the lawn, yoga, ice skating, or dancing.
• Vigorous activities increase your heart rate and make you sweat and breathe faster. This type of activity includes jogging or running, digging, carrying or hauling, jumping rope, or swimming.
Limit how much alcohol you drink. Women who drink should limit their alcohol intake to no more than one drink a day. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
In addition to making healthy lifestyle choices, talk to your healthcare provider about the best breast cancer screening plan for you. Screening tests can help find breast cancer early, when it may be easier to treat.
A mammogram could help save your life.
Scheduling your yearly check-up?
If you are 50 years and older, make sure to ask about scheduling a mammogram – the test you need to help find breast cancer early. It could help save your life.
Regular mammograms can help find breast cancer early, when it’s small, less likely to have spread, and could be easier to treat.
Getting tested for breast cancer can make a dramatic difference in a woman’s chances of surviving the disease. The 5-year survival rate for women with breast cancer that has not spread outside the breast is 99%. However, if the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, the rate drops to 85%. And if it has spread to other organs, the 5-year survival rate drops to 26%.
So don’t wait. Remind the women you care about to get regular mammograms.
Mammograms are not perfect. They can miss some breast cancers, so be sure to see a healthcare provider right away if you notice any changes in the way your breasts look and/or feel.
If you have a family or personal history of breast cancer or think you might be at higher risk than other women, discuss this with your healthcare provider so you can decide on the screening schedule that’s right for you.
For more information on the steps you can take to help reduce your risk of breast cancer and other cancers, too, visit the American Cancer Society website at cancer.org/breastcancer or call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345. We’re here for you every step of the way.
