Embarrassing Illnesses

The causes of breast cancer are not fully understood. Therefore, it is not possible to know if anything can prevent it altogether. A number of factors have been identified that may make the chances of developing breast cancer less likely.

There are also methods of screening for breast cancer. All women between the ages of 50 and 70 are eligible for breast cancer screening every three years as part of the NHS Breast Screening Programme. Women who have two or more close relatives with breast cancer may be eligible to be screened for breast cancer or for the genes that may make developing it more likely.

The possible factors for preventing breast cancer and details of the screening methods are outlined below.

Diet and lifestyle

Research into breast cancer has shown that eating a healthy, balanced diet may help to prevent it. For example, the rates of breast cancer among Japanese women, who eat a low-fat diet that is high in fruit and vegetables, are far lower than those of American women, whose diet is high in fat and similar to that of women in the UK.

It has also been suggested that regular exercise can reduce your risk of breast cancer by as much as a third. If you have been through the menopause, it is particularly important not to be overweight or obese because it causes more oestrogen to be produced, which can sometimes stimulate the growth of cancer cells.

Aside from this, it is known that regular exercise and a healthy, low-fat diet are extremely beneficial to your overall health and can help prevent all forms of cancer and heart disease.

Breastfeeding

Women who breastfeed are statistically less likely to develop breast cancer than those who do not. Research has found that women who breastfeed may reduce their risk of developing breast cancer before they reach menopause by half. Younger mothers in particular can reduce their risk of breast cancer by breastfeeding. The risk is reduced further the longer you continue to breastfeed your baby.

The reasons for this are not fully understood, but it could be because you do not ovulate as regularly while you are breastfeeding and your oestrogen levels remain stable.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme

If you are a woman between the ages of 50 and 70, you are eligible to be regularly screened for breast cancer as part of the NHS Breast Screening Programme. You should receive your first invitation for screening by the time you are 54 years old. If you don't, contact your GP surgery.

Women between 50 and 70 are considered to be most at risk. However, as your risk of breast cancer increases with age, you may wish to continue being screened after the age of 70. If this is the case, see your GP. The NHS Breast Screening Programme website has further information.

The screening method for the Breast Screening Programme is a mammogram once every three years. Always attend every appointment, even if you cannot see or feel any changes in your breasts. For more information about mammograms, see Diagnosis, above.

Screening for women at high risk of breast cancer

You may be eligible for breast cancer screening before the age of 50 if breast cancer runs in your family. Your risk of developing breast cancer is considered to be higher than average if:

• Two or more close relatives (at least one of whom is your mother or sister) on the same side of your family have or have had breast cancer.
• Three of your close relatives were diagnosed with breast cancer at any age.
• One close relative has breast cancer and one has ovarian cancer (one of them being your mother, sister or daughter),
• Your mother or sister was diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 40.
• Your father or brother was diagnosed with breast cancer at any age.
• Your mother or sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in both breasts and was diagnosed for the first time under the age of 50.

If any of the above applies to you, see your GP, who can refer you to a breast clinic for assessment based on your family history. If you have a high risk of developing breast cancer and you are over 40, you should be offered screening with a mammogram once a year. If you are under 40, you are entitled to screening using MRI scans instead of mammograms because your breasts may be too dense to produce a clear mammogram.

Genetic screening for breast cancer

If, following an assessment at your breast clinic, it is found that you have a family history of breast cancer, it may be because one of the genes that makes breast cancer more likely runs in your family. You may be able to have screening for these genes, which are known as BRCA1, BRCA2 and TP53.

To be genetically screened for breast cancer, you must have a living relative with breast cancer. You and your relative both have a blood test to see if you both carry any of the breast cancer genes.

If a breast cancer gene is found and you are under 49, you may be offered yearly MRI scans. If you are 50 or over, you may also be offered yearly mammograms.