| Do you fear breast cancer? Many women do | | | | of breast-feeding. |
| because it is such a killer! Surprisingly, men are not | | | | The following are risk factors over which you have |
| immune to this disease either. | | | | no control: |
| If you received a diagnosis of breast cancer just 20 | | | | 1. Aging |
| years ago, your chances of being a survivor would | | | | 2. Breast cancer in your immediate family |
| have been much less than they are today. That's | | | | 3. Starting your periods before the age of 12 |
| because of the marvelous advance of medical | | | | 4. Passing through menopause after the age of 50 |
| research. | | | | So as you can see, there are risks you can do |
| There are a lot more options available now for | | | | something about and risks that you can't do anything |
| treating malignant tumors than were available a few | | | | about. So why not start with what you can do? For |
| years ago. And more and more women are breast | | | | example, choose to eat healthy foods instead of |
| cancer survivors today. | | | | junk food. Stay away from alcoholic beverages and |
| But you would like to know what your particular risks | | | | smoking. Exercise regularly. |
| are for developing breast cancer, wouldn't you? | | | | For the risks you can do nothing about, you can use |
| Although no one knows exactly who is going to get | | | | preventative measures. If your mother or and or |
| breast cancer, there are risk factors that can be | | | | another close relative had breast cancer, try to |
| taken into consideration. You can do something about | | | | remember to schedule a yearly mammogram. And |
| some of these risk factors, and other risk factors | | | | have a doctor examine your breasts once a year. |
| there's not much you can do about. -- except to be | | | | Learn how to do breast exams once a month |
| on your guard. | | | | yourself and be faithful about checking your breasts |
| Here are the risk factors you can control: | | | | on a regular basis. |
| 1. Obesity | | | | To even more accurately assess your personal risk |
| 2. Drinking alcoholic beverages | | | | for developing breast cancer, you can take a test |
| 3. Smoking | | | | that will let you know if you carry a mutated gene |
| 4. Taking estrogen with progesterone for | | | | related to breast cancer. |
| menopausal symptoms | | | | Why not choose to reduce your risk factors by |
| 5. Using birth control pills | | | | doing all you can to protect yourself from this deadly |
| 6. Lack of exercise | | | | disease? |
| 7. Choosing to feed your baby with a bottle instead | | | | |