Make three changes to cut breast cancer

She was only 36 years old and dead. Kimhad died of breast cancer. Like perhaps many people, I think of cancer as a wicked disease. It comes on like a thief in the night. It can afflict someone whether or not they have risk factors. This month is breast cancer awareness month. It brings to mind the women I had to inform of their diagnoses. I have lost touch with some of them. I can only hope that they conquered the disease.

According to US statistics, an American woman has a one in eight risk of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. Although recent statistics are unavailable in Jamaica, it remains a leading cause of cancer among Jamaican women. Fortunately, in the United States, both the number of women diagnosed with the disease and the number of women dying from the disease have shown a steady decline over the past few years suggesting hope for the future. Moreover, it is possible for a woman to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer.

Cut back on alcohol

Three lifestyle factors have been clearly shown to be associated with a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. Studies show that even if a woman has one alcoholic drink per day, she can increase her risk of breast cancer. Therefore, women who drink alcohol on a regular basis may be able to reduce their risk by limiting their alcohol intake.

Exercise more

Just about every time I see a woman for an annual exam, I counsel her on the importance of exercise. I do not list all the benefits individually but I stress that there are many. One research estimate suggests that a woman can decrease her risk of breast cancer by six per cent for every hour per week that she exercises. However, there is a caveat which leads me to the third lifestyle factor. Women with a low or normal body mass index (BMI) have a greater reduction in their risk than women with a high BMI.

Watch your weight

BMI is calculated by taking a woman's weight in kilograms and dividing it by her height in metres squared. A normal BMI is from 18.5 to 24.9. If a woman gains weight after the age of 18, after menopause or has a high BMI, she increases her risk of developing breast cancer after menopause. Heavier women are also more likely to have more advanced breast cancers. It is also believed that many of the cases of breast cancer in black women are due to the high proportion of black women being overweight and obese.

Yes, there are women who have done everything right and are still stolen by this disease and, like Kim, they were younger than the recommended age for screening (40 and above) and they were blindsided. However, that might not be you and if you can change any factor in your life that can reduce your risk, before you make an excuse, ask yourself if you are worth it. I would say yes!

*name changed

Dr Monique Rainford is a consulting obstetrician and gynaecologist; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.