Are you a breast cancer survivor?

If so, please read our post on minimizing your recurrence risk.

But if you’re a healthy woman trying to ensure you’ll never have to deal with breast cancer, read on.

First of all, please understand that researchers don’t understand what causes breast cancer, and so can’t tell us how to prevent it. It’s still a random disease; up to 85% of women who get breast cancer have no known risk factors.

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to minimize your risk. With 2010 right around the corner, how about trying out a few of the New Year’s resolutions below? They certainly won’t hurt; and they might just help prevent you from being the “1” in that famous “1 in 8” statistic we hear so often.

1) Food. It’s synonymous to pleasure for most of us, so it’s hard to stop eating the things we love. And you don’t have to; moderation is the key to any diet. Here are a few simple dietary parameters that that might help you make healthier choices:

•Maximize “good” fats, minimize “bad” fats: Reduce your intake of saturated fats (meat, full-fat dairy). Increase your intake of omega-3 fats (olive and canola oils; nuts and seeds; avocadoes; oily fish, including salmon, tuna, and mackerel).

•Maximize “good” carbs; minimize “bad” carbs: Reduce your intake of “empty” carbs, like sugar, white potatoes, white rice, and “white” (not whole-grain) pasta. Increase your intake of “good” carbs, like whole grain cereals and breads, and high-fiber beans and legumes. Think brown rice in place of white; sweet potato fries instead of regular; Triscuits rather than Ritz; Total instead of Rice Krispies. Read side labels: high carbs, low fiber is NOT a good combination – minimize your consumption of these foods.
 
2) Reconsider those oral contraceptives, if possible. Taking “the pill” increases your risk of breast cancer – while you’re taking it. Once you stop, your risk decreases over time, and in 10 years the risk disappears.

3) Think about your child-bearing choices. While cancer prevention certainly isn’t a reason to get pregnant, pregnancy does reduce your risk of breast cancer. Here are some interesting statistics from the National Cancer Institute:

•A woman who has her first child after the age of 35 has approximately twice the risk of developing breast cancer as a woman who has a child before age 20.

•A woman who has her first child around age 30 has approximately the same lifetime risk of developing breast cancer as a woman who has never given birth.

•Having more than one child decreases a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer. In particular, having more than one child at a younger age decreases a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer during her lifetime.

In addition, breast-feeding lowers your risk of breast cancer.