How Often Do Women Really Need Mammograms?
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Live Healthy Breast Defense How often do women really need mammograms? Is stashing your cell phone in your bra harmful? Test your knowledge about the leading cancer killer by taking our quick quiz, then read on to learn how to keep this dreaded disease at bay. By Sara Reistad-Long Photographby Travis Rathbone SHAPE.COM OCTOBER 2014 125 Live Healthy {News} Breast test Most women who B) Breast size get breast cancer have C) Heavy periods 1 a family history of the disease. D) All of the above True False A) B) Which of these diets should you avoid for Breast self-exams your breast health? are largely ineffective 5 2 and unnecessary. A) Mediterranean A) True B) False B) Raw foodism C) Paleo/Keto Which of these should Intermittent fasting you stop doing to D) 3strongly reduce your breast cancer risk? When should women begin getting A) Wearing underwire 6mammograms? bras A) Age 21 B) Age 30 B) Carrying your cell phone in your bra C) Age 40 D) Age 50 Depends on your risk C) Undergoing fertility E) treatments, using hormonal birth Who should be tested control, or taking for the BRCA1 and hormone-replace- 7 BRCA2 gene mutations? ment therapy A) Anyone with a family history of breast or D) Pulling all-nighters ovarian cancer E) Using chemical deodorant and B) Anyone with a family antiperspirant history of breast or ovarian cancer, or Which of these traits is who has a relative cause for concern when with the mutation 4it comes to cancer risk? C) All women over age 40 A) Weight D) None of the above Breast cancer awareness can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it drives more research and support. On the other, it can hinder people’s understanding of their individual risk and what Answer key they can do to lower it. That’s because raising visi- B) A family history does choices instead, like staying bility is only half the battle, says Marisa Weiss, M.D., boost your risk: Having at a healthy weight, not a breast oncologist at Lankenau Medical Center in 1 one first-degree relative smoking, and drinking Philadelphia and founder of breastcancer.org. (say, your mother or sister) alcohol moderately. Awareness campaigns may teach you about the who’s had the condition doubles your chances of While breast self- existence of information, like a just-approved B) getting breast cancer, and exams have long screening method, but they can’t tell you whether having two increases them 2 been considered the you need the test. And that lack of know-how, says threefold, according to the best first line of defense BWeiss, discourages women from taking positive American Cancer Society. against cancer, up until action, like asking their doctor for clarification. But 85 percent of women recently proof of their use- Case in point: “People tend to overestimate their who develop breast cancer fulness was ambiguous at family risk of breast cancer and underestimate have no close kin with the best. Still, many experts their lifestyle or environmental risks,” says Weiss, disease; most women who were reluctant to condemn who’s also a breast cancer survivor. That means do have it in their family them—after all, 40 percent of they wrongly chalk their risk up to fate (“My aunt background will never get breast cancers are self- had it, so I’ll probably get it no matter what I do.”) sick. So while you should talk detected. And the latest evi- with your doctor about dence offers more support Photographby Patric Shaw and overlook the simple moves they could take to whether more frequent for the screening tool’s effi- protect themselves from developing the disease. screenings are appropriate cacy. Canadian researchers How knowledgeable are you about these poten- for you, there’s no need to investigated 90,000 women tially lifesaving steps? Find out using our quick quiz. feel doomed or stressed and concluded that, when Then continue reading to discover the most up-to- about your risk. Focus on date advice for mounting your best breast defense. making healthy lifestyle Continued . 126 OCTOBER 2014 SHAPE.COM Live Healthy {News} performed correctly (use British researchers found the box to the right to learn LIFESAVING may increase breast cancer how), monthly self-exams SELFIE risk by as much as 64 percent. are at least as successful as To check your Another study found that a mammograms at detecting breasts, start by metabolite of cholesterol serious cancers. They’re inspecting them mimics estrogen, encourag- especially important for in a mirror (both ing tumor growth. women who aren’t yet get- with your arms at The science on breast size ting regular mammograms, your sides and is a little murkier. Some stud- and would otherwise rely raised), taking ies have found that well- only on clinical exams for endowed women have an note of changes screening, says Elizabeth increased risk, but many in contour, color, Chabner Thompson, M.D., don’t take weight into a radiation oncologist in or size, says account—obese women, Scarsdale, NY. “Who’s going Weiss. Then who are already more likely to know what’s normal squeeze each to get cancer, often have big- for your breasts better than nipple—no fluid ger breasts. For now, Weiss you? The more you check, or blood should says that cup size shouldn’t the more familiar you’ll be come out. Finally, raise your arm and use the pads of be considered a predictor of with them, which will help your left fingers to feel the entire right breast from cancer development. As for tip you off to changes.” top to bottom, side to side, and back to front, rubbing menstrual flow, strength or in a circular motion and applying light, medium, and frequency has no impact on Yes, you read that cancer risk. D) firm pressure. Repeat on your other side. Perform right. Compared to self-exams monthly, a day or two after your period 3 women who slept C) Low-carb eating seven hours per night, those ends, when your breasts are at their least tender and plans like Paleo and who logged six or less hours lumpy. Also smart: getting manual exams by your 5 Keto are often heavy on of shuteye had a 62 percent doctor every one to three years beginning at age 20. fatty foods like coconut oil higher risk of developing and grass-fed beef—and breast cancer, according to women with diets high in fat, Japanese research. Low lev- widely rumored to cause (think going from a risk of 1 especially the saturated kind els of melatonin, a hormone cancer, but no study has ever percent to 2 percent). As you found in animal protein, have that’s produced when you proven a link. The connec- get older, however, your risk a 28 percent higher risk of snooze, may boost the tion to fertility treatments, naturally increases, so that hormone-fueled breast can- body’s output of estrogen, a hormonal birth control, same jump can be more cer (which makes up about sex hormone and risk factor and hormone-replacement meaningful. Avoid high- 75 percent of diagnoses), for the disease, report Har- therapy (HRT), however, is a estrogen pills, which have a according to an Italian study. vard University scientists. bit more complicated, says stronger link to the disease, No single eating plan is Cell phones, deodorants, Weiss. Combined estrogen- and if you’re still concerned, deemed ideal by oncology and underwires are all progestin HRT, as well as explore nonhormonal meth- experts, though the Mediter- long-term use of estrogen- ods, such as a copper IUD. ranean diet may offer pro- only HRT and fertility treat- tective benefits. Your best ments, are associated with A) As many as 15 per- bet is to fill your plate with an increased risk, and doc- cent of breast cancers “clean” foods, including pro- tors generally recommend 4 have been attributed duce, whole grains, lean pro- against them. The data on to obesity, according to a teins, and small amounts of birth control is even fuzzier. study in the Journal of the healthy fats (like those in Extended use may raise risk— National Cancer Institute. avocados, nuts, and oily fish). Photographby Getty Images; illustration by Paul Oakley but when you’re in your 20s The reason: Fat causes and 30s, your baseline inflammation, which is Trick question— chances of getting the dis- known to fuel tumor growth, this could be C or D, ease are so low that even a and ramps up the body’s 6 depending on whom seemingly “big” increase estrogen levels. Overweight you ask. Currently the United is relatively inconse- women often also have high quential, says Weiss cholesterol, a condition that Continued . Angelina Jolie raised awareness of the BRCA gene mutations with her New York Times op-ed. 128 OCTOBER 2014 SHAPE.COM Live Healthy {News} States Preventive Services should be evaluated to see if Task Force (USPSTF) recom- your relatives display certain PERSONAL mends that women with no characteristics associated TOUCH family history of breast can- with the mutation (like being Yael Cohen cer begin getting biennial diagnosed with breast can- Braun founded mammograms at age 50, cer before age 45). If you do, FCancer which it says is early and some doctors will recom- after her often enough to catch most mend the BRCA test, while mother’s diagnosis. cancerous changes. Other others may prefer screening organizations, however, a relative who currently has including the American Can- cancer, if possible, to see if cer Society, suggest yearly he or she carries the gene Social support screenings starting at 40.