Breast Cancer Awareness

At one point in our lives, we’ve known someone who has been affected by cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Q105 wants to be there to support those whose lives have been touched by this uninvited visitor.

This is for the Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts, Sisters, Daughters and Friends we have lost and those who are currently going through it. This is for the daughters who have lost their mothers and will not be able to share special moments in their lives with them.

Breast Cancer is not something that can be overlooked, there are ways to catch it in time to get the necessary treatment. At least one in eight women will be diagnosed with this disease.

•Make sure to do a self check and get a yearly check-up with your doctor.

• Avoid becoming overweight. Obesity can raise the risk of breast cancer after menopause.

• Eat healthy to avoid weight gain. Eat a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in sugared drinks, refined carbohydrates and fatty foods. Eat lean protein such as fish or chicken breast and limit red meat intake.

• Be physically active. Physical activity reduces overall breast-cancer risk by about 10 percent to 30 percent.

• Drink little or no alcohol. Alcohol use can increase the risk of breast cancer.

• Avoid hormone replacement therapy. Menopausal hormone therapy increases risk for breast cancer. If you have to take hormones to manage menopausal symptoms, avoid those that contain progesterone and limit their use to less than three years.

• Consider taking an estrogen-blocking drug. Women with a family history of breast cancer or who are over age 60 should talk to their doctor about the pros and cons of estrogen-blocking drugs such as tamoxifen and raloxifene.

• Don’t smoke. Long-term smoking can increase your risk of breast.

• Breast-feed your babies for as long as possible. Women who breast-feed their babies for at least a year in total have a reduced risk of developing breast cancer later.