In Your 40S,
As you head toward menopause, your body starts a new phase of change. One result:95% of all new breast cancers and 97% of all death from the disease occur in women over 40 (though both are more likely to happen at older ages). So if you haven't paid much attention to breast health before, now is the time to start.
Expect your breasts to feel different each month,
In this decade, women often have their first experiences with breast lumpiness, tenderness and cysts. "The hormone levels in your body are starting to fluctuate, and your breasts are responding to that" so from time to time you ovulate until you menstruate, you may encounter lumps, bumps and thickening. report any new change to your doctor. The presence of cysts or lumps may lead to biopsies, but according to the American Cancer Society, the results of most biopsies (80%) are benign. "70% of women have fibrocystic breast disorder and changes over time, and these changes become exaggerated in this decade," "But they will diminish after menopause"
KEEP UP SELF-EXAMS
although not many cancers are discovered by this method, of those that are, most are found by the women themselves. Self-exams are still a useful tool. Performing self-exams will keep you familiar with how your breasts feel, which means you'll be alert to any changes that do occur.
"The ones that come and don't go away", Do schedule a visit to the doctor if you notice changes that linger after your period has ended. If your menstrual cycle is erratic and you experience something unusual, play it safe and talk about it with your physician.
WATCH THE CALENDAR
systematic screening is crucial in your forties: monthly self-checks, annual ob-gyn checkups and yearly themografies . On the one hand, your risk for cancer is lower than it will be in the next two decades. A 40 year old woman has only a 1,43% chance of developing breast cancer over the next 10years. On the other hand, the tumors that do show up tend to be more aggressive, and less responsive to treatment, than those that appear later. That's why, even though it's unlikely you will develop a problem, you need to start annual screening once you hit 40. Regularity is the key: The more time that passes between screening tests, the longer cells can grow unchecked.
KEEP YOUR WEIGHT STEADY
women who get significantly heavier in midlife are more likely to develop breast cancer after menopause than those whose weight remains roughly the same. "Those who gained 40-60 pounds between the ages of 35 and 50 had a 40% increase in risk compared with women who maintained their weight" Over time even a few extra pounds a year ups your odds of developing breast cancer, as well as a host of other chronic, even deadly diseases. That's why maintain a healthy weight is the key to prevent cancer.
MEET YOUR CALCIUM QUOTA
Pre menopausal women found that those who consumed 1,370 mg of calcium or more a day had a 40% lower risk for breast cancer than those who ingested 620 mg or less. And those who consumed a daily dose of at least 550IU of vitamin D ( which helps with the absorption of calcium) had a 35% lower risk than those who consumed 160IU. The vitamin intakes in a study where higher than the current USDA ,RDA at 1000mg and 400IU of vitamin D. so which number is right? "we will need to do clinical trial to determine the optimum amount for breast health" Study based on breast health study from Harvard Medical School, May 2007.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY
Typically the breast tissue of pre menopausal women is denser that younger women's, which can make it more difficult to get a clear mammography image, therefore I suggest you choose themography, this is also more accurate since it will detect even smaller changes earlier tan mammography images.Having ultrasound, thermography and a mammogram these 3 combination will increase the number of tumor findings, according to a May, 2008 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
KEEP HORMONES IN CHECK
The more estrogen and progesterone your body is exposed to over your lifetime, the greater your risk of breast cancer. Hormone therapies and excess weight may increase your risk; breast feeding, on the other hand, reduces your risk of breast cancer. But if you take hormones and didn't breast-feed (or never had children), there is still much that you can do to mitigate your risk. Keep your weight steady, and get regular physical activity, Both suggestions have been shown to reduce hormone levels.
FILL IN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY
If you haven't done so already, collect as much information as possible from relatives on both sides, Go back several generations, if you can. It's especially important to know if your mother or father carries cancer pre-disposition gene mutations, including BRCA-1 or BRCA-2. So, if your parents are alive, you might ask them to consider genetic testing. Even if there is no breast cancer in your immediate family, you may still be at risk if you have first degree relatives with other hormonally driven cancers, such as prostate and ovarian cancers, which are also linked to the BRCA-1 and -2 genes. If you have strong family history of breast cancer, or any cancer in a parent or sibling, it's worth a trip to a genetic counselor to assess your personal risks. afterward you may be advised to do a genetic testing. The process is simple, by blood sample and a specially lab analysing your blood; the cost range from 300$-3000$ depending on the test ordered, and many insurer will cover it. If privacy concerns have stopped you from considering such a test in the past, be aware Congress recently passed the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act, which forbids employers and insurers to use DNA test results to deny coverage.
KEEPING IMPLANTS HEALTHY
Wheter yours are cosmetic or reconstructive remember implants have a shelf life
No matter if they're made of silicone or saline (the FDA rescinded its ban on the former last year), the longer you have them, the more likely they are to break. "Implants experience wear and tear, since they bend and flex when you breath and move" Manufacturers give them a life span of 10 to 20 years so talk to your plastic surgeon about removal or replacement as that time nears its end.
KEEP DOING SELF EXAMS
many women whose breasts have been augmented worry that the implants will make it harder for them to find lumps, the opposite is true. " The implant is placed behind the breast tissue, so everything you need to exam and feel is sitting on top of the soft surface"
DON'T FEAR MAMMOGRAM/THERMOGRAM
Some patients worry about the compression required for this essential exam will not rupture their implant, therefore it is less invasive and safer mentally to choose thermography. But, the little sacs aren't that fragile. besides, women have to keep their perspective, even if an implant were to break dealing with that is much simpler than dealing with breast cancer- and the stakes are much lower. So definitely keep screening your breast for healthy tissue and just remember to mention that you do have implants to any technician or health care practitioners.
IN YOUR 50S
This decade marks your prime time for cancer 77% of all breast cancers are detected in women of 50 and older, according to the American Cancer Society. Moreover, a study in the journal Breasts Cancer Research in May 2008 found that tumors in women 50 through 59 double in size over an average of only 1,4 years, making annual surveillance a must.
GET A SHAPE UPDATE
As women age and go through menopause, their breasts can feel softer, the dense tissue is replaced with fatty tissue. But some women maintaining density, even after menopause. neither is abnormal, the key is knowing how your own breast feel. in other words keep up your self-exams. even women who are closely followed by physician then to discover their own lumps. Since they come into contact with their own breasts daily, while clinicians see patients only a few times a year at most. If you can alert your doctor to changes in your breasts, she'll be better able to determine what needs further screening and attention. be aware that caffeine and some asthma and migraine medications may also cause breast lumps. Toward the close of this decade, once you no longer have your period, the lumpiness, tenderness and cysts you endured in your forties and early fifties will start to subside. In general, the older women are less active their breasts become in terms of cystic changes and nipple discharge, because of of waning estrogen and progesterone levels. There are changes all the time in pre menopausal women, and it is no big worry. But if a post menopausal woman who is not taking hormones therapies is experiencing changes, it is more of a concern.
RETHINK HORMONES
If relatives have had breast cancer, you may incur an increase cancer risk from hormone therapies
KEEP WATCHING YOUR WEIGHTThe evidence is clear, after age 35 gaining 40pounds or more is bad for breast health. and gaining 20 or more pounds after age 50 also has a repercussions In research it is discovered that women who gain that amount of weight in that decade have 40% greater risk of developing breast cancer. underlining the point is released by the American Association for Breast Cancer research. Here is also specified that your risk for breast cancer increases 4 % with every 11 pounds you gain. and you should literally watch your waist line. If your waist measure 32 inches or more you are at risk for diabetes and heart disease as well as breast cancer. but while getting the message is easy, losing the weight can be hard. as menopause begins, women who have been able to manage their weight at a younger age finds it harder now. another decade means another step down in your metabolism, as a result it is not unusual for women over 50 to gain a pound or 2 per year without eating more or exercising less. If your weight is off track now is the time got get it under control.
THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK
The more alcohol you consume, the higher your risk for development of breast cancer.
we've been told one drink a day is beneficial for heart disease, but that's is not true for breast cancer, The alcohol intake may affect estrogen and progesterone levels, particularly in post menopausal women, whose bodies now make less of those hormones.
Post menopausal women who took a drink or two per day had a 32% higher risk of breast cancer and those who downed three or more drinks per day saw their risk increase by 51%
DON'T ASSUME CALCIFICATION'S MEAN CANCER
Breast calcification's or small calcium deposits in the breast are generally not a cause for concerns. They have nothing to do with dietary calcium intake, so don't stop taking calcium, which are for your bone health. Rather, they are deposited in areas of rapidly growing cells, and are usually benign they are worrisome when they require investigation.
IN YOUR 60S
There's no getting around it, The number one risk factor for breast cancer is age. Last year in theUSA 16,150 cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in women yopunger than 45 and 162,330 cases in those older that 55. age 61 is the statistical mean for breast cancer diagnosis, meaning that's when you are mostlikely to be diagnosed. Good news, tumors grow slower in this decade, it takes an avarage of 2,1 years for a tumor in a woman 60-69 to double in size.
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