Help Yourself:

Although we know some of the risk factors linked to breast cancer, we do not yet know what causes most breast cancer. It could be that a woman of average risk for breast cancer might lower her risk somewhat by changing those risk factors that can be changed. These include giving birth to several children and breast feeding them for several months, not drinking alcohol, exercising regularly, and staying slim. It is also important for women to follow the American Cancer Society’s guidelines for finding breast cancer early. (See the section, "How Is Breast Cancer Found?").

There are tests that can tell if a woman has certain changed genes linked to breast cancer. With this information, women can then take steps to reduce their risk. We strongly recommend genetic counseling before taking these tests and before making any decisions about preventive measures.

The drug tamoxifen has been used for many years as a treatment for some types of breast cancer. Recent studies show that women at high risk for breast cancer are less likely to get the disease if they take tamoxifen. Another drug, raloxifene, is also being studied for use in reducing breast cancer risk. And there are even newer drugs now under study.   In some rare cases, women at very high risk of breast cancer might consider a preventive (prophylactic) mastectomy. This is an operation in which one or both breasts are removed before there is any known breast cancer. The reasons for thinking about this type of surgery need to be very strong. Women should get a second opinion before making a decision to have this type of surgery.

Breast cancer is detected by either self-examination or by a variety of different clinical examinations.
Commonly accepted recommendations for early Breast Cancer detection:

• Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year.
• Between the ages of 20 and 39, women should have a clinical breast examination by a health professional every 3 years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a health professional every year.
• Women age 20 or older should perform a breast self-examination (BSE) every month. By doing the exam regularly, you get to know how your breasts normally feel and you can more readily detect any signs or symptoms.
• Women with increased risk factors (see above) should start regular mammography before the age of 40.

To ensure the highest quality with the most accuracy for mammography, the federal government (FDA, CDC, NCI, etc.) asked the American College of Radiology to set standards for mammography centers. This includes specially trained radiologists, dedicated X-ray units, and specially trained technicians to perform the studies. There are 52 certified mammography centers in RI.

Prevention:

Doctors cannot always explain why one person gets cancer and another does not. However, scientists have studied general patterns of cancer in the population to learn what things around us and what things we do in our lives may increase our chance of developing cancer.   Anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor; anything that decreases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a protective factor. Some of the risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, although you can choose to quit smoking, you cannot choose which genes you have inherited from your parents. Both smoking and inheriting specific genes could be considered risk factors for certain kinds of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Prevention means avoiding the risk factors and increasing the protective factors that can be controlled, so that the chance of developing cancer decreases.
Although many risk factors can be avoided, it is important to keep in mind that avoiding risk factors does not guarantee that you will not get cancer. Also, most people with a particular risk factor for cancer do not actually get the disease. Some people are more sensitive than others are to factors that can cause cancer. Talk to your doctor about methods of preventing cancer that might be effective for you.

Purposes of this summary:

The purposes of this summary on breast cancer prevention are to:

• Give information on breast cancer and how often it occurs.
• Describe breast cancer prevention methods.
• Give current facts about which people or groups of people would most likely be helped by following breast cancer prevention methods.