Breast Cancer

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When my best friend’s mother died of breast cancer at only 32, I was devastated for her. Two years ago, her aunt was diagnosed with the same cancer. My friend decided to opt for a preventative double mastectomy last year, and she blogs about her amazing story at http:// armystylebottleofsunshine.blogspot.com/.

My college roommate also recently had a mastectomy two weeks ago when they found breast cancer, and she is only 36!!! So, I’ve put together a list of DIY ways to prevent breast cancer from around the web!

1. Self-Check– Obviously one of the best and cheapest ways to prevent the spread of breast cancer is to catch it early. Self-exams can be done at home in the shower. Here is a link to show you how to do a breast exam at home! BreastCancer.org states that “As with many other diseases, your risk of breast cancer goes up as you get older. About two out of three invasive breast cancers are found in women 55 or older.”

2. Control Your Weight– Do we really need to explain this one? LOL

3. Eat Healthy- This goes with #2!! Seeing a nutritionist has really helped me in this area!!

4. Breastfeed- When women breastfeed for at least a year, this seems to help reduce the risk of breast cancer later!

5. Avoid alcohol- All the articles we could find on this subject stated that women should drink as little alcohol as possible and no more than one drink a day to reduce the risk of breast cancer. While this may seem somewhat harsh to those who love a few glasses of wine or beer, all the articles said the same thing.

6. Don’t Smoke- OBVIOUS!

7.Avoid environmental toxins and radiation whenever possible.

8. Know your family history. While my best friend did have the gene testing, my college roommate did not since she already had an active cancer diagnosis. However, family history is a huge indicator.

9. Avoid Hormone Replacement Therapy. BreastCancer.org states, “Current or recent past users of HRT have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Since 2002 when research linked HRT and risk, the number of women taking HRT has dropped dramatically.”

10. Research, research, research! Keeping up on the latest research is so important when trying to prevent to disease. Plus, our medical world changes very quickly, so new research is constantly being conducted! Bookmark your favorite website, and check back often!

*This article is not intended to replace, nor does it indicate medical advice.

Some of these tips were taken from the following articles:

Mayoclinic.org

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

OHSOnline.com

BreastCancer.org