Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among South African women, with one in 31 women diagnosed in her lifetime.
This statistic spans all race groups.
The second most common cancer among South African women is cervical cancer.
It is also one of the deadliest, but it is easily preventable.
The older you are, the greater risk you face when it comes to developing breast cancer. However, the disease can and does strike women under 40.
You should examine your breasts every month, and go for regular mammograms from the age of 40.
When detected early, breast cancer has up to 95% chance of successful treatment.
One of the greatest risk factors for breast cancer is obesity, especially after menopause. Other risk factors include being a smoker, not being physically active, consuming alcohol, and age.
Women who have breastfed, especially for longer than a year, may face a lower breast cancer risk than women who have never breastfed, studies have found.
A high-fat diet and one that is very dense in animal protein (especially red meat) can increase your risk of breast cancer.
Fill your diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, and healthy proteins like fish and seafood, white-meat poultry, eggs and legumes.
Studies suggest that women who suffer from stress are twice as likely to develop breast cancer than those who do not experience stress.
If you want to help reduce your risk of breast cancer, do the following:
- stop smoking;
- limit alcohol intake;
- exercise at least moderately – aim for 30 minutes three times a week;
- find out what your healthy weight is and stick to it;
- always wear sunscreen when you are outdoors, in every season;
- revamp your diet, cutting out junk food, sugar and high-fat foods; and
- try to keep stress to a minimum. – mariestopes.org.za
