Cut the risk of breast cancer

The Breast Cancer Awareness Month starts today and we thought of acquainting you with some pertinent things about this rapidly growing disease. According to recent stats, there is an increase in the number of breast cancer cases in India, aged between 25 and 40 years. Though breast cancer is a global disease and the majority of the underlying causes are uniform across the continents, the problem with us in India is the lack of awareness and screening. In the West, screening is the most important factor behind long-term survival of the patients. Around 2000 to 2500 cases of breast cancer are detected every year in Mumbai alone. Here are a few important precautionary measures that you must take to avoid the deadly disease.

1. Get yourself screened: Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in all urban areas in India. There is no harm in getting yourself screened for the disease as it involves a normal person, living a healthy life, to see if there are any underlying threats. Once you cross 20 years of age and before you turn 40, do it once in every few years.
2. Breast Self Examination: You must do it once every month by yourself and once in a year you should get it checked by a doctor. It is a screening method used to detect early breast cancer. You need to carefully look at your breasts and feel and touch them for any possible lumps, distortions or swelling. Get familiarise with your breasts so that it is easier for you to detect any abnormality.
3. Drink within limits: Consumption of alcohol is believed to increase the risk of breast cancer, so if you love your drink, limit yourself to two or three glasses in a week and cut down on wine, beer and hard liquor.
4. Exercise: Get your bottoms out of your bed half an hour early than your usual waking up time and run or do any other exercise which makes you sweat. Or, leave office early enough to spare sometime in the evening to workout. It will keep your heart healthy and cut the cancer risk.
5. Maintain your BMI: Stop binging on junk if you are overweight and run your guts out or play something to get rid of those extra pounds. Keep your office desk free of chips and biscuits and all sorts of unhealthy snacks that you keep munching onto throughout the day. You shouldn’t be overweight and if you are, do something about it. Studies have shown that obese and overweight women, especially if you have put on weight as an adult, have lower breast cancer survival rates and higher risk of a more aggressive disease than those who have a good BMI.