Has Breast Cancer Awareness Month got you thinking about your risk factors and how you might deal with a diagnosis?
Fortunately, you’ve got options on both fronts.
Small steps for prevention
Some women have a higher risk than others of developing breast cancer because of certain risk factors. For example, they may have a specific gene or a close family member who has had breast cancer.
However, scientists are learning how our environment can also play a role in increasing a woman’s risk—and there are steps that we can take to help protect ourselves from problematic chemicals.
1. Watch what you eat and how it is prepared
Cook with a good ventilation fan; it will help draw out exhaust. Avoid high-starch foods cooked at high temperatures (like french fries and potato chips), and limit meats that are cooked at high temperatures (pan frying or grilling over an open flame). Charred foods should be avoided as well when possible.
2. Avoid inhaling gas fumes and car exhaust
Gas fumes are present when you fill your car or a container, or through stored gasoline. Refill containers or gas-powered equipment in well-ventilated areas.
3. Filter your water
Try filtering your drinking water with a solid carbon block. Carbon filters can help reduce some potentially cancer-causing contaminants that may be in your water, like benzene.
4. Keep harmful chemicals outside
Take your shoes off when you get home. As you walk around outside, the dust and dirt that collect on the bottom of your shoes may contain pollutants like pesticides and lead. By taking your shoes off at the door, you keep chemicals outside of your home.
5. Say no to smoke
If you quit smoking and avoid second-hand smoke, the benefits will begin accruing immediately. You will not only reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, but you’ll also reduce your risk for other types of cancer (notably of the lungs), as well as for coronary heart disease.
Consider CAM
If you or someone you care about faces a breast cancer diagnosis, you may want to consider complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) or therapies in addition to treatment prescribed by your health care practitioner.
The CAM umbrella is quite large and includes mind-body techniques, oral therapies and topical ones.
Many women wonder if CAM may help manage their breast cancer, either by increasing their chances of a cure, helping them manage the effects of the treatments or helping them relax during one of the most stressful periods of their life.
One study of women undergoing breast cancer treatment found that most of the women who used therapies like yoga and guided imagery had improved quality of life. Another study of women undergoing radiation therapy found that more than half of them used some sort of complementary therapy.
CAM includes, but is not limited to,
- meditation
- yoga
- massage
- cognitive behavior therapy
- acupuncture
- oral or skin products
If you choose to use CAM while undergoing treatment, be sure to discuss this with your care team.
