TUESDAY TIDINGS - Risk Factors for Breast Cancer...

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer that you CAN control:

Many factors might affect your risk for breast cancer and other diseases. You may be able to control and modify some of these, including:

* what you eat
* how much you weigh and maintaining a healthy weight
* how much you exercise
* whether you smoke
* whether you drink alcohol and if so, how much and how frequently
* the types of chemicals in your environment
* whether you took hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopausal symptoms for 5 years or longer

Rick factors for breast cancer that you CAN'T control...

* Age
* Personal history of breast cancer
* Family history
* Certain breast changes
* Genetic alterations
* Menstrual history
* Race
* Radiation therapy to the chest before you were 30 years old
* Breast density
* Exposure to DES (diethylstilbestrol):
* Late pregnancy or no pregnancy

If you weigh uncontrollable factors against those that CAN be changed, you'll see that you can do a lot to lower your risk of breast cancer. And while it's very hard to pin down specific foods or chemicals that are firmly linked to a higher or lower risk of breast cancer, researchers are working hard to find out whatever they can about specific lifestyle and environmental factors that may be within your control.

This information comes from Breastcancer.org - if you'd like to read the full article, go to their website, click on Lower Your Risk → Lowering Risk For Everyone → Risk Factors You Can't Control or Risk Factors You Can Control.