I was rather shocked this week to hear that someone I met on a course just a few years ago has died. I didn’t know her well but remember her as bright, engaged, happy, fun, slim, healthy, fit-looking etc. And now she’s dead. Apparently of breast cancer. At the age of 51. RIP Dawn.
And lovely Dawn is the second person I know to have died from breast cancer, as well as knowing several other fabulous women who have been successfully treated for it. This shit is all too real.
So I thought I’d look into it. In the UK the odds are 1 in 8 women get diagnosed with breast cancer and it is the most common cancer in the UK. Note: not just the most common in women, but the most common cancer in the UK full stop. Oh, and rarely, men can get it too. However, according to the NHS, there is a good chance of recovery if caught early.
The image has been blatantly stolen for some signs to look out for as we check our boobs. The boob checking is a no-brainer and if you have any slight concerns please do get straight down to your GP. I also know at least two women who have had scares and had to go for further tests but luckily the process was quick, painless and they were given the all clear. I guess the same check, albeit less squishy, must apply to men too.
But I was also intrigued to see what are the risk factors and how can we lower our chances? Apparently 1 in 4 cases of breast cancer are preventable by lifestyle factors. As we all know there is a lot of rubbish on the internet so I chose 4 sites that I hope will be fairly factual: World Health Organisation, NHS, Cancer Research UK, Breast Cancer UK. There are risk factors that we can’t do anything about (our genes, when we first had a period, age, whether we breast-fed etc). However there are several factors that we can influence and looking at the above websites, the consensus seems to be that you can lower your risk by:
* Not being overweight or obese
* Minimising saturated fat intake
* Regular exercise
* Reducing alcohol intake
* Eating fruit & veg, minimising processed food
* Reducing exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals by using natural cleaning products and skin care where possible
And if you’ve been through the menopause the NHS site states that it’s particularly important to not be overweight as it can cause more oestrogen to be produced by your body, which can increase the risk of breast cancer.
And, no surprise, these are all the same factors that minimise our risk of other cancers, major diseases and help to minimise adverse menopausal symptoms. If you are not in good shape health wise please do try and do all you can to get back on track. Let’s spread the word and maybe none of us will have to hear of another friend being diagnosed or worse. Please like/comment/share. Sue X
