7 important signs to recognize breast cancer

This is the most common type of cancer in women. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. If detected early, the disease is easily curable. Here you can read what symptoms to look out for and how to prevent them.

You should look out for these symptoms:

  • Nodular density or lump in the breast or armpit
  • Differences in the shape or size of the breast.
  • Retraction of the nipple
  • Clear or bloody discharge from the nipple
  • Pulling of breast skin in one place, orange skin or small dimpling of skin.
  • Redness or peeling of skin
  • Unilateral burning or pulling pain.

These risk factors exist

“The risk of developing breast cancer increases continuously from the age of 25. According to statistics, women aged 65 to 69 are at the greatest risk. There are also a number of other factors that affect the risk of developing a tumor,” says the oncologist.

These include:

  • hormones
  • lifestyle
  • predisposition.

1. How hormones affect the risk of breast cancer

The female sex hormones estrogen and progestin often play a crucial role in the development of breast cancer. The longer the hormone levels fluctuate each month, the higher the likelihood of the disease.

Therefore, early first menstruation and later menopause increase the risk of breast cancer.

“Hormone replacement therapy can also increase the risk. Mothers who also breastfeed their children have a lower risk than childless women.”

The more children and the longer the breastfeeding period, the lower the risk of the disease.

2. A healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of breast cancer.

Lack of exercise and being overweight also increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Exercise is a fundamental factor in helping to prevent breast cancer.

Women who are physically active for 30 to 60 minutes a day have a 20-25 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who are not physically active. It also helps to not smoke and to reduce alcohol consumption as much as possible. Therefore, women should drink a maximum of one glass of wine a day.

Diet also has a significant impact on the risk of cancer.

“A balanced diet consisting of plenty of berries, fruits and vegetables, especially cabbage, has a positive effect. The menu should also include whole grains, legumes and nuts, but meat and sausage should be included only two to three times a week.”

You can also support your health by replacing animal oils with vegetable oils. This not only helps reduce the risk of breast cancer, but also prevents the development of other types of cancer.

A woman's body needs folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, pre- and probiotics, and phytoestrogens. They are found, for example, in soy. Women should also avoid chronic stress and ensure healthy and restful sleep.

3. Genes play this role in breast cancer.

There are also risk factors that we have no influence on, such as age or genetics. About five to ten out of 100 breast cancer patients have so-called risk genes that cause breast cancer. The most well-known are BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA: breast cancer gene).

Approximately 50–80 percent of women with this gene mutation will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Therefore, it is impossible to avoid the disease, despite all preventive measures.

Survival times and chances of recovery from breast cancer have improved significantly in recent years. One reason for this is that breast cancer is now usually detected earlier.

Author photo
Publication date:
Author: alex

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *