Breast Health

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Breast Health

• Guysborough Antigonish Strait
• Health Authority

• With support from
• Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Atlantic
  Chapter
• Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre, Mount Sinai
  Hospital, Toronto
• Canadian Cancer Society

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Reducing breast cancer risk
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Healthy Choices
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• In this program you will learn
• What do we mean by breast health?
• What does risk mean and what are risk
  factors?
• What choices can we make about our lifestyle
  that will reduce our risk of getting breast
  cancer?

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What is breast health?
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Breast health is

• knowing your own breasts how they look and feel
• visiting a health care professional to determine
  if a breast problem needs treatment

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Breast health includes

• Clinical Breast Exam (CBE) once a year

• Screening mammogram every year for women aged
  40-49

• Screening mammogram every one to two years for
  women 50 and over

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What causes breast cancer?
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Major risk factors

• Being a woman (gender)

• Age

• Previous breast cancer

• Family history

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Other risk factors

• no pregnancies or having a first pregnancy after
  age 30

• beginning to menstruate at an early age and/or
  later than average menopause

• hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

• unhealthy lifestyle choices (poor diet, lack of
  exercise)

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By the numbers

• Canada one woman in nine is expected to develop
  breast cancer in her lifetime. One in 27 will die
  of it.

• Atlantic Canada breast cancer is the most
  frequently diagnosed cancer among women -- more
  than twice as many new cases as lung cancer.

• Nova Scotia from 1995 and 1999, 3,097 Nova
  Scotia women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
  699 died of the disease.

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Risk reduction
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Changing our health habits
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Making small and lasting changes toward breast
health
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Healthy Eating
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Canadas Guidelines for Healthy Eating

• Enjoy a variety of foods

• Emphasize cereals, breads, other grains, fruits
  and vegetables

• Choose lower fat dairy products, leaner meats,
  and foods prepared with little or no fat

• Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by
  enjoying regular physical activity and healthy
  eating

• Limit salt, alcohol and caffeine

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Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk
Alcohol

• Daily consumption of alcohol increases the risk

• Having more than 3 to 4 drinks a day increases
  risk to one and a half times that of those who
  abstain

• Risk appears to be greater when the amount of
  alcohol consumed is greater

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Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk
Fat Intake

• Saturated fats (animal fats) may contribute to up
  to 25 of breast cancers in postmenopausal women.

• No consensus on whether monounsaturated fats
  (olive, canola and peanut oil) offer protection

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Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk
Weight

• Postmenopausal women who are overweight have a
  higher risk of developing breast cancer

• Risk is about one and one-half times that of
  normal weight women

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Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
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Whats in a serving?
Fruits and vegetables
1 serving

• 1 fresh fruit (apple, pear, plum)
• 1 fresh vegetable (carrot, green pepper)
• ½ cup of juice (vegetable or fruit juice)
• ½ cup of cooked vegetable or fruit (frozen,
  fresh, canned)
• tossed salad

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Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk
Physical Activity

• Breast cancer risk is about one-quarter lower in
  physically active women

• Women under 50, who are not overweight, appear to
  benefit most

• Girls who are competitive athletes in high school
  have a lower breast cancer risk throughout their
  adult lives

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What works for you?

• 60 minutes of light effort each day (light
  walking, easy gardening, stretching)

• 30-60 minutes of moderate effort (brisk walking,
  swimming, raking leaves) several times a week

Its time to get moving!
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Stress and cancer

• No direct link to breast cancer

• Know your limits and what causes stress in order
  to cope more effectively

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Smoking
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Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

• an individual decision
• discuss with your doctor

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Myths
These things are not linked to breast cancer

• deodorants
• hair dye
• underwire bras
• computers
• breast trauma
• breast implants

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Early Detection
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Screening Mammograms

• Once a year for women aged 40 to 49 years

• Every one to two years for women aged 50 years
  and over

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Mammogram What to expect

• Special equipment will be used to compress your
  breast

• X-rays will be taken of each breast from top,
  bottom and sides

• Results will be sent to your doctor

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Clinical Breast Examinations (CBE)

• By a healthcare professional at your annual
  physical, OR

• At a well woman clinic

• Tip Have a CBE when you have your annual Pap
  test

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Breast self examination (BSE)

• Not a proven screening method

• Learn the pros and cons before you choose to do it

• Learn the proper way to do it

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Reducing breast cancer risk

• Healthy diet

• Physical activity

• Weight management

• Screening mammography every year (age 40-49)
  every one or two years (age 50 and up)

• Clinical breast examination (CBE) once a year

• Breast self examination (BSE) personal choice

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Congratulations!
You have become a breast health ambassador!