Surgical Oncologist in Venkateshwara Hospital | Posted on
Breast cancer, once, used to be the disease of elderly women, but now it is increasing rapidly in India and engulfing in its arms, the women of all the age groups. This changing scenario is mainly because of the changing lifestyle, and due to this breast cancer is now being experienced by younger women as much as by elderly women.
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women. It is said, that the main cause of breast cancer is the increased release of estrogen hormone –a female hormone –in the body.
Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, less physical exercise, smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, etc., are some of the habits that increase the risk of breast cancer in women. Although very common and ordinary, these habits are the main reasons or causes of the breast cancer.
There are certain women who are especially at high risk of breast cancer:
• Women who have had early start of menstruation or late menopause.
• Women who are unmarried.
• Those women who get pregnant late in their life (after 35 years of age).
• Those who don’t breast-feed their babies.
• Women who take hormonal therapy (HRT) after menopause are also more vulnerable to the risk of breast cancer.
• Medical termination of pregnancy or anything that increases the release of estrogen hormone in body, increases the risk of breast cancer in women.
Steps that can be taken for the prevention of breast cancer are as follows:
• Regular exercise to maintain the weight.
• Avoid alcohol
• Say no to smoking.
• Stop the in-take of non-vegetarian diet
As I remarked earlier, breast cancer is purely a lifestyle disease, and hence it can be prevented only by bringing change in our lifestyle.
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Majority of our patients have no clinically proven cause when they are diagnosed with cancer breast. About 10% of the patient have strong history of cancers in their families. Other causes such as prolonged use of hormones, obesity etc cannot be reliably attributed in patients. Best safeguard against breast cancer is breast self examination may lead to an early diagnosis and best outcome of treatment.
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