Tips on early detection and breast health.
  1. Early Breast Cancer Detection – For more detailed recommendations visit the American Cancer Society website. Medical experts recommend:

    2.  
    1. Women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year (Programs to link you to mammography providers can be found by visiting www.avonbreastcare.org)
       
    2. Women in their 20’s and 30’s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of their periodic health exam by a health professional, preferably every 3 years (Community based groups who can help link you to CBE can be found at www.avonbreastcare.org)
       
    3. Breast self exam – the experts now recommend that women get to know their own bodies and watch for any changes. BSE is an option for women starting in their 20s. You should report any changes in your breast health to your doctor right away. You can learn more by visiting the ACS website at www.cancer.org)
       
  2. Tips to Reduce Your Risk for Breast Cancer – For more detailed suggestions you can learn more by visiting the Zero Breast Cancer and the Silent Spring Institute websites.

    3.  
    1. Minimize radiation exposure – The human breast is sensitive to radiation-associated cancers, especially if exposure occurs at young ages. Girls repeatedly exposed to radiation before the age of 20 are at highest risk for developing breast cancer. The leading source of radiation exposure is medical diagnostic imaging procedures (X-rays).
       
    2. Modify alcohol intake – Regular consumption of one drink a day for women is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
       
    3. Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke – Tobacco smoke is a known human carcinogen and is an established risk factor for lung cancer. Exposure to smoking and secondhand smoke should be avoided, particularly during childhood, puberty, pregnancy and when breast feeding.
       
    4. Avoid exposures to exogenous estrogens

      5.  
      1. Hormone replacement therapy – Use only if absolutely necessary; use for as short a time as possible, and discuss alternatives with your doctor.
         
      2. Hormonally active environmental chemicals – Some studies suggest chemicals in our homes, water and environment may play a role in cancer development. To learn more you can visit the NIH’s Household Products Database and the websites for Zero Breast Cancer  and Silent Spring Institute.
         
    5. Maintain leanness or reduce weight – the relationship between being overweight and breast cancer risk is one of the best understood to date. It is known that women who gain more than 20 pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk of breast cancer (postmenopausal) compared with women whose weight remains stable.
       
  3. Nutrition Tips – Nutrition plays an important role in your health. You can learn more by visiting God’s Love We Deliver website. For more detailed information and a free booklet, visit: http://www.glwd.org/pdf_files/nutrition_tips_cancer_survivors.pdf
     
  4. Other Resources:
    Avon Foundation Breast Health Resource Guide – A guide with breast cancer information and a listing of organizations by region that may assist you in early detection, risk reduction or accessing breast cancer treatment.

 

 
     
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