Your Best Defense Against Breast Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women will have breast cancer during her life. While you can’t know for sure if you’re going to get it, you can take the following steps to help prevent it or catch it early.
- Tell your doctor about any changes in your breasts. Be familiar with how your breasts normally look and feel and tell your doctor right away if you notice:
- Pain
- A lump in your breast
- Swelling in or around your breast, collarbone or armpit o
- Skin thickening or redness
- Breast warmth and itching
- Changes to the nipple
- Schedule regular mammograms. This test can help your doctor find the disease early, when it’s easiest to treat.
- Stay active and eat a healthy diet. You can control some risk factors for breast cancer, such as obesity, physical inactivity and a high-fat diet. Exercise and a diet of high fiber, lean meats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables may help you avoid the disease.
So make a plan to exercise and eat healthy, and talk to your doctor about mammograms and any changes in your breasts. These measures can go a long way toward protecting you from breast cancer.