How likely is it that I will have breast cancer?
Saturday, August 29th, 2009 at
7:30 am
luv_vs_h8 asked:
My mother’s cousin has breast cancer and she is 35.
Two of my mother’s aunts had (and died from) breast cancer.
My father’s mother had breast cancer but had her breast removed.
I am young and am not too worried about it now, but how likely is it that my sister or I will have breast cancer? My mother is being tested next week.
Tagged with: Aunts • Breast Cancer • Cousin
Filed under: Cancer
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Cancer from smoking
Well while I will say that this doesn’t mean that you’ll definitely develop cancer, there is a chance since it seems to run in your family. There’s no real way to know for sure as far as I know. Lots of people in my family have had cancer, but it’s all different types! As long as you keep yourself tested and aware, you should be fine. Early detection saves lives!
How long can I smoke?
Breast cancer is a concern of all women no matter what age. Diet has come into the spotlight as our fist line of defense to help us prevent and fight against it. The National Cancer Institute has estimated that nearly one-third of all cancer related deaths may be related to what a person eats. Some of the things we eat such as foods high in saturated fats, hydrogenated products, as well as red meat and beer can harm us by increasing our chances of cancer. Luckily there are many choices we can eat to have a natural diet to fight breast cancer.
Making choices for a breast cancer natural diet in actually pretty easy, and can be tastier and more filling than harmful junk and fast foods. Look for foods high in antioxidants, especially polyphenols. Foods like red wine, olive oil and especially green tea contain polyphenols. By weight, green tea leaves are actually 40% polyphenols! According to the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, these antioxidants can protect against many types of cancer, as well as preventing existing cancer cells from dividing. Lycopene is another strong antioxidant that helps fight cancer by attacking free radicals in the body that are suspected of causing cancer. Lycopene is found in tomatoes, watermelons, carrots, and red peppers.
Grapefruit, oranges and other citrus fruits contain monoterpenes, which are believed to help detoxify and clear carcinogens out of the body. Grapefruit is especially important when thinking of a breast cancer diet, because some studies have shown them to inhibit the proliferation of breast-cancer cells. Rosemary is another great detoxification agent. An extract of Rosemary called carnosol which has been shown to inhibit growth of breast tumors in animals.
Seaweed and other ocean vegetables contain protein, vitamin B12, beta-carotene, fiber, and chlorophyll, which are all healthy and help protect against cancer. These plants also contain chlorophylones, which are important fatty acids in fighting breast cancer. Carrots, which are another vegetable high in beta carotene is considered one of the major cancer fighters when added to a breast cancer diet. For an added benefit, eating carrots raw preserves the falcarinol in the vegetable which has shown to slow cancer cell growth.
Boosting your omega-3 fatty acid levels should also be an important part of developing a natural breast cancer diet. You can find high levels of these fatty acids in cold water fish like salmon, tuna, sardines and herring. Flax seed oil is another great way to introduce more omega-3 fatty acid into your diet, although some people can be slightly allergic to flax seed, so you should be careful when introducing into the diet for the first time. Couple these foods with a healthy lifestyle and exercise to maximize effects of a natural breast cancer fighting diet.
Good luck…
Cancer from smoking
It is rare for cancer to run in a family and there is no indication it runs in yours. You have a 1 in 8 lifetime risk of developing breast cancer – the same as every other woman. What you eat does not change this.
Cancer from smoking
All the relatives you have listed are 2nd or 3rd degree relatives – normally not considered to increase your risk.
95% of women (you are probably in this category) have a 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer.
4% of women have a 1 in 4 risk.
1% of women have a 1 in 2 risk.
Be vigilant, lead a generally healthy lifestyle including regular medical check-ups and you have a good chance of catching anything that may crop up quickly.