Beating breast cancer Beating breast cancer (October 08, 2004)

Advice all women can use

Q: My grandmother died of breast cancer. What are my chances of getting it?

A: If your grandmother was diagnosed late in life, she was probably one of the 1 in 12 women who get breast cancer from the normal consequences of aging, the single greatest risk factor for breast cancer.

About 80 percent of women who get breast cancer have no known family history of the disease. Breast cancer caused by an inherited gene abnormality is not necessarily any more severe or less treatable than other types of breast cancer.

Q: Can breast cancer be prevented?

A: There are major risk factors within a woman's control that can help lower her risk, the most vital of which is leading a healthy lifestyle. You are in control of a number of significant risk factors, several of which are common sense.

Control your weight. Excess body weight increases the production of estrogen outside the ovaries. Shift to healthier food and get regular exercise.

Eliminate sources of extra estrogen from your diet like red meat and dairy, because animal fats may contain accumulated hormones or pesticides that can mimic estrogens in the body. Decrease alcohol consumption or limit it to no more than two alcoholic drinks a week. Give yourself regular breast exams and get a mammogram.

Q: Is the radiation from mammograms bad for you?

A: Traditional mammograms are safe because they use a low-dose X-ray of the breast when they look for abnormalities. The benefits far outweigh the risks. Mammograms can find breast cancer early, which improves chances for survival.

Q: Why should I do a breast self-exam?

A: About 25 percent of breast cancer cases are found by breast examination. Regular breast self-exams can help you know how your breasts normally feel and look so you can notice any changes. As you become more familiar with your breasts, you should be better able to notice a difference.

In addition to a lump, watch for skin irritations or dimpling, pain or change in color or shape of the nipple, or a discharge. If you see any of these changes, you should see your physician right away. While most breast changes or lumps are not cancerous, only a health care provider can tell you for sure.

Q: I'm terrified by the possibility of breast cancer. It feels like it's everywhere.

A: The prospect of cancer is alarming, but don't be alarmed. Today, there are more than 2 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. With early detection of breast cancer, the chances of beating breast cancer are 90 percent.

Don't get anxious -- get informed! Talk to your doctor and take good care of yourself.

-- Peter Paul Yu, breast cancer specialist at Camino Medical Group

Have a medical question? E-mail it to Cynthia Greaves at greavec@caminomedical.org.

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