#cure cancer
It’s October and the pink ribbons have descended: Breast Cancer Awareness month is upon us!
When dealing with the threat of breast cancer, it’s important to know what you personally can and cannot control. Glow’s here to help with two lists. 5 breast cancer lifestyle choices well within your control. And 5 breast cancer risk factors out of your control. Get ready to turbo-charge your breast cancer savvy :)
5 Breast Cancer Awareness Tactics Well Within Your Control
- #YOLO- You only live once, so take care of that body. Stay in control when it comes to alcohol (no more than one drink per day is best advised), stay away from those cigs and all smokey smoke. Remaining physically active and in a healthy weight range will also help!
- Breast-feed - If you’re a baby momma, know that breast-feeding may play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you breastfeed, the greater the protective effect.
- Genetic testing-Genetic testing can identify mutations in genes that increase breast and ovarian cancer risk (like BRCA1, BRCA2, and 19 others). If the test shows that a mutation is present, that does not mean that you will definitely contract breast cancer! Instead, it is a sign that you should talk to your doctor about getting screened for breast cancer more frequently. Genetic testing can be expensive, but this October, Glow partnered with Color Genomics to offer free genetic testing for breast & ovarian cancer to all employees. Thanks, Glow! <3
- Mammograms - The American Cancer Society just changed its recommendations, and now advises that women should start getting annual mammograms at age 45.
- Limit hormone therapy-Hormone therapy was once routinely used to treat menopausal symptoms and protect long-term health. Then large clinical trials showed health risks. And one of the health risks is that undergoing hormone therapy for more than 3-5 years increases the risk of breast cancer. Avoid hormone therapy if you can.
5 Breast Cancer Risk Factors Outside Of Your Control
- Your vagina - Kind of, not really. But simply being a woman is the main risk factor for developing breast cancer! It is possible for men to develop breast cancer. That said, breast cancer is ~100x more common among women.
- Aging- Breast cancer risk increases with age—about ⅔ of invasive breast cancers are found in women age 55 or older.
- Genetics & Family History - About 10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary, the result of gene defects (called mutations) that are passed down from a parent. Having a mother, sister, or daughter suffer from breast cancer almost doubles a woman’s risk :(
- Breast density - Yes this is a thing. So breasts are made up of fatty tissue, fibrous tissue, and glandular tissue. The less fatty tissue, the more dense the breasts are. Dense breast tissue makes mammograms less accurate and increases risk of breast cancer. Boo.
- P-p-p-periods galore - Women who have had more menstrual cycles because they started menstruating early (before age 12) and/or went through menopause later (after age 55) have a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Bring it on, pink ribbons. The more we discuss and share, the more we become aware.
