Breast cancer prevention
All women over the age of 25 belong to the risk group of developing breast cancer. Unfortunately, there are no clear rules, following which would guarantee that cancer will never develop. However, being aware of and using preventive measures may decrease the risk of the disease and lower the number of advanced cases of malignant mammary carcinoma.
- Annual preventive examinations are an opportunity to diagnose the disease at an early stage and prevent the development of late breast cancer forms. Malignant breast diseases have no symptoms at early stages. To identify a neoplasm in the breasts on their own, patients need to consider many factors – the density of the breast tissue, its size, location, and the size of the tumor. In most cases even an experienced specialist is not able to detect the early forms of breast cancer with hands only. Using modern diagnostic methods (for example, mammography with tomosynthesis) allows to identify even precancerous conditions, for instance, non-invasive intraductal carcinoma.
- Awareness of family history of malignant breast neoplasms as well as other forms of cancer allows to timely and properly choose the follow-up strategy and therefore to detect the early signs of the disease.
- Breastfeeding decreases the risk of breast cancer development. The fact is that the biological role of breast tissue is to produce milk. Every menstrual cycle is in a way the body getting ready for pregnancy. Throughout the cycle breast tissues undergo a number of changes that are accompanied by activation of certain processes in the cells that produce breast milk. Basically, breast cells that have not fulfilled their biological role remain in the process of waiting and constant division which increases the risk of breast cancer.
- It has been proven that the physical activity decreases the risk of development of some forms of malignant diseases and lowers the rate of relapses following comprehensive treatment. This is true for breast cancer as well.
- There is no clear data regarding the direct correlation between smoking, consuming alcohol, and breast cancer development. However, the probability of malignant processes erupting in the gastro-intestinal tract, urinary bladder and lungs increases with the presence of bad habits.