How to prevent and reduce the risk of breast cancer

The Ministry of Health said that breast cancer is a type of cancer that most often occurs in women in Indonesia. The mortality rate for women due to breast cancer is also high, with an average of 17 deaths per 100,000 population. That is why the government places great emphasis on early detection as a form of breast cancer prevention. So, what are the ways that can be done to prevent breast cancer?

How to prevent breast cancer

Preventing breast cancer cannot be done instantly, with only one way. There are various efforts that you need to go through in order to avoid this deadly disease. Most of these are lifestyle changes.

This lifestyle change needs to be made for anyone, especially those of you who have breast cancer risk factors. For those of you who have already had breast cancer, these methods need to be done to improve the quality and life expectancy and help keep your condition fit during breast cancer treatment.

Here are some lifestyle changes and other measures you need to go through to avoid breast cancer:

1. Eating a balanced nutritious diet

A healthy diet is one of the important ways to prevent breast cancer. The reason is, many health experts believe there are several foods that cause breast cancer. These foods generally contain unhealthy content for the body, such as high sugar, bad fats, or other substances that are dangerous if consumed in excess.

On the other hand, consume healthy and balanced foods regularly, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and various other foods for breast cancer. Choose foods that are high in fiber, good fats, protein that have low levels of saturated fat, and sources of healthy carbohydrates.

However, it is important to remember that consuming healthy foods or drinks alone is not directly proven to prevent breast cancer. You need to take other breast cancer prevention methods to make it more optimal.

2. Avoid drinking alcohol

The more and more often you drink alcohol, the greater your chances of developing breast cancer. Reporting from Breastcancer.org, young women with an age range between 9-15 years who drink 3-5 alcoholic drinks per week have a three times higher risk of developing breast cancer.

The alcohol triggers breast cancer by increasing estrogen levels and causing DNA damage in the body.

Seeing this fact, one way to prevent breast cancer from an early age is to not get into the habit of consuming alcoholic drinks. However, if you are already drinking it, you should limit your alcohol consumption to only two drinks per week.

You can replace this alcoholic drink with another similar type of drink, such as the same mocktail as a cocktail, but without alcohol, or any other drink.

3. Doing exercise regularly

Exercise can help maintain an ideal body weight. As for being overweight or obese can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

Therefore, another way to prevent breast cancer is to exercise regularly at least 30 minutes every day. You can do any sport you like, such as jogging, aerobics, cycling, or swimming.

For those of you who have had breast cancer, exercise must also be done. Exercise can help reduce the side effects of medication, complications from treatment, risk of cancer recurrence, stress or depression, and improve mood.

Do 30 minutes of exercise every day and choose moderate exercise for breast cancer sufferers, such as walking, swimming, yoga, tai chi, or strength training. Don't push yourself when exercising and stop if you feel sick while exercising.

However, most importantly, first consult with your doctor about the right exercise for your condition.

4. Maintain ideal body weight

Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of developing breast cancer, especially in elderly or postmenopausal women. The reason is, the accumulated fat in the body can increase levels of the hormone estrogen, which can cause breast cancer.

Therefore, you should maintain an ideal body weight as an effort to prevent breast cancer. As for how to maintain an ideal body weight, namely by exercising regularly and eating a balanced nutritious diet as described above.

5. Quit smoking

Smoking has been shown to increase the risk of various diseases, including cancer. As for one of the cancers that can be caused by smoking, namely breast cancer, especially in young or premenopausal women.

Therefore, you should avoid smoking to prevent breast cancer. If you already smoke, you should stop now. You also need to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke even if you don't smoke. The reason is, the risk of breast cancer also still appears in "passive smoking", especially in postmenopausal women.

For breast cancer sufferers, smoking can increase the likelihood of complications from treatment. Therefore, try to stop smoking slowly and start by reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

6. Breastfeeding after giving birth

For women who have recently given birth, breastfeeding directly from the breast is not only beneficial for the baby. However, breastfeeding for one year or more can also prevent breast cancer in you.

The reason is, during breastfeeding, hormonal changes occur which delay menstrual periods. Thus, your estrogen hormone will remain stable. The excess estrogen levels can increase the risk of developing cancer cells in the breast.

7. Limiting the dose and duration of hormone therapy

Continuing combination hormone therapy for more than three years can actually increase the risk of breast cancer. Therefore, postmenopausal hormone therapy should not be carried out in the long term. The duration of drug administration should be limited as short as possible or use a low dose.

If you are taking hormonal medications to treat menopause symptoms, ask your doctor about alternatives. The reason is, the benefits of hormone therapy after menopause are often less than the risks.

8. Avoiding birth control pills in certain conditions

Using birth control pills, especially if you are over 35 years of age, can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. This risk goes away when you stop using birth control pills.

Therefore, if you have a family history of breast cancer, you should choose another form of contraception or consult your doctor for the right way to prevent pregnancy.

9. Get adequate rest

Adequate rest does not prevent breast cancer, but it can improve body fitness which indirectly avoids various risks of disease.

As for breast cancer sufferers, adequate rest can help the recovery process from the treatment that is being undertaken. Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night to get these benefits.

10. Reduce stress

Just like getting enough rest, reducing stress does not directly prevent breast cancer. However, stress can worsen health, including those of you who are already suffering from breast cancer.

Therefore, you should reduce stress in healthy ways, such as exercise, meditation, or other things. By reducing stress, the quality of life for breast cancer patients can improve and prevent your condition from getting worse. In addition, reducing stress can also relieve medication side effects and symptoms that you are experiencing.

11. Perform early detection regularly

In addition to applying the methods above, you also need to do early detection of breast cancer to prevent this disease. Early detection is very important, especially for those of you who have a family history of breast cancer.

There are two methods of early detection as a means of preventing breast cancer, which are quoted from WHO, namely:

• Make an early diagnosis in women who feel the early symptoms of breast cancer and get treatment as early as possible.
• Screening or testing for breast cancer in women who do not feel any symptoms, which aims to identify individuals with cancer.

As for how to do early detection to prevent breast cancer, namely:

• Checking your own breasts (BSE)

You can check your own breasts at home using BSE techniques. This technique is done by feeling the breast area whether there is a lump in the breast or not. Also check for any other changes in your breasts.

• Clinical breast examination (SADANIS)

If you find any abnormalities in your breasts, you should immediately do a clinical breast examination at a doctor. If the abnormality is related to cancer, you can prevent the disease from getting worse by treating it as early as possible.

• Mammography

Mammography is a test that is done to see if there are problems with the breast, even though the symptoms have not yet appeared. Mammography can be done yearly. Ask your doctor more about when is the right time for you to do this way of preventing breast cancer.

You may also need other screenings to detect breast cancer early, such as a breast ultrasound. Consult with your doctor about the right test as an effort to prevent breast cancer in you.

12. Perform special treatment if you have a high risk

If you are at high risk for breast cancer, you can take special medications as a way to prevent breast cancer. Consult your doctor whether you need to undergo this treatment to avoid breast cancer.

As for some possible treatments for breast cancer prevention, namely:

• Medicines to reduce the risk of breast cancer, such as raloxifene and tamoxifen, which can block the action of estrogen in breast tissue. Raloxifen is generally given to women who have passed menopause, while tamoxifen is for women who are or have not yet experienced menopause.
• Mastectomy. In addition to treating, this surgical procedure can also be done to prevent breast cancer, especially in women who are at a very high risk of developing the disease. This procedure is also known as a prophylactic mastectomy.

You need to do the various prevention methods above regularly and regularly in order to be more effective at preventing breast cancer. However, in some preventive measures, such as early detection and treatment, you need to consult a doctor to do it. This includes how often you need to be screened for breast cancer or specific medications to lower your risk.