Be Proactive When You’re Young
By Sheryl
June 1, 2010
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 34, many (including myself) thought I was too young to get breast cancer. While breast cancer in young women accounts for just a small percentage of all cases, it happens. It’s real. Each year more than 10,000 young women are diagnosed with breast cancer; and more than 1,000 of these women die from breast cancer. There are more than 250,000 women living in this country who were diagnosed with it at the age of 40 or younger. Approximately 100,000 will be diagnosed in the next year.
So, when I got a phone call from a 23-year-old asking me what she should do about protecting herself against breast cancer, I didn’t hesitate to find out. You see, her mother – my best friend – died of breast cancer at 45, leaving her daughter, then 11, in the care of her father. And then tragically, she lost her father to pancreatic cancer last year.
It’s beyond understandable that she wants to protect herself.
So, what did I tell her? Here are some things:
Don’t drink
If you do, keep it to a minimum. A recent study shows that underage alcohol use may boost the risk of benign breast disease at an early age. When data from almost 7,000 young women was studied, it revealed a 50% increase in the risk of biopsy-confirmed benign breast disease with every additional drink a girl typically consumed per day at ages 15 to 22. Those who drank almost every day were at 5.5-fold risk compared with those who drank less than once a week or never drank.
Don’t smoke
If you smoke, quit. Now. Among the obvious, smoking is also associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer. And it can increase complications if you are treated for breast cancer.
Exercise
Research shows that five hours of exercise per week may help lower your risk of breast cancer. It also helps boost your immune system and over time may lower your estrogen levels in your body (which translates into less stimulation of breast cell growth, which is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer).
Watch your weight
Extra fat cells are evil – they make extra estrogen that could stimulate breast cell growth. Regular exercise can reduce your body fat, decreasing your chance of breast cancer. Being overweight puts you at an increased risk of getting breast cancer after menopause.
Reduce your estrogen exposure
Aside from exercising and keeping a healthy weight, limit your consumption of red meat or other animal fats (including dairy fat in cheese, milk and ice cream). These all may contain hormones and pesticides. Some research points to eating too much cholesterol and other fats as a risk factor for cancer. There are studies that also show that eating a lot of red and/or processed meat can heighten your risk, too.
Consider having children at a younger age, and breastfeed, if you can
When your menstrual cycle stops – as it does for nine months during pregnancy – estrogen is turned off, thus adding some protection. Breastfeeding does the same.
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits
Though research is mixed, it can’t hurt to eat some of the vegetables that might be associated with protective benefits like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots and spinach. Some evidence exists that raw vegetables may be more protective than cooked (possibly because heat may damage some of their protective chemicals).
Other essential facts
•Many young women and their doctors are unaware that they are at risk for breast cancer.
•There is no effective breast cancer-screening tool for women 40 and younger.
•Young women are often diagnosed at a later stage than their older counterparts.
•There is very little research focused on issues unique to this younger population, such as fertility, pregnancy, genetic predisposition, the impact of hormonal status on the effectiveness of treatment, psycho-social and long-term survivorship issues and higher mortality rates for young women, particularly for African-Americans and Latinas.?
•Young women diagnosed with breast cancer often feel isolated and have little contact with peers who can relate to what they are experiencing.
•As the incidence of young women with breast cancer is much lower than in older women, young women are underrepresented in many research studies.
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