Several things have been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer. These include being pregnant, being obese, drinking alcohol, being on birth control pills, and even dieting while trying to lose weight! Apart from having a family history, these are the several factors that can affect your health greatly, for more information consult breast cancer surgeon.
Pregnancy
There are a lot of misconceptions about the risk factors for breast cancer. One common misconception is that being pregnant increases your risk of developing breast cancer, when in fact it decreases your risk. However, there is one factor related to pregnancy that does increase the risk: changes in hormone levels during pregnancy can cause existing breast cancer cells to grow if you already have some. Because of this, you need to be aware of breast cancer symptoms and check-up every once and a while. The hormones estrogen and progesterone are responsible for this effect. Therefore, if you or someone close to you has had previous episodes of breast cancer then getting pregnant could be risky because it may lead to more aggressive forms of the disease. It’s also important to know that while hormonal changes during pregnancy do not increase your overall chance of developing breast cancer they do play an important role in the development of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women.
Obesity
Being obese is another major risk factor for breast cancer. Studies have shown that obese women are more likely to develop the disease and are also more likely to die from it. This is because obesity increases the amount of estrogen in the body, and estrogen has been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer. More estrogen in the body means a bigger chance of developing breast cancer, especially when obesity is caused by eating fast food and other low-nutrient foods that raise estrogen levels to an unnatural high.
Fast Foods Cause Obesity
This is one of the main reasons why fast food should be avoided because it causes obesity and increases the risk of cancer. It’s been shown that people who eat fast food are more likely to be obese, and obese people are more likely to develop cancer. A recent study showed that people who ate fast food twice a week were up to 80% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who didn’t. This is alarming news because pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers.
Cancerogenous Foods
Other foods have been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer. These include processed meats, such as ham and bacon, and charred meat. This is because both processed meats and charred meat contain carcinogens, which are substances that can cause cancer. So, if you’re looking to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, it’s best to avoid processed meats and charred meat.
Physical Inactivity
Physical inactivity is also a risk factor for breast cancer. This is because when you’re inactive, your body produces more estrogen than it needs. And as we’ve already learned, estrogen plays a role in the development of breast cancer. So, by being physically active you can help to reduce your risk of developing the disease.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol is another major risk factor for breast cancer. Alcohol consumption can increase the levels of estrogen in the body, and as we already know, estrogen is linked with an increased risk of breast cancer. Studies have shown that women who drink alcohol are up to three times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who don’t. This is especially worrying because alcohol is a part of many people’s everyday lives.
Birth Control Pills
Birth control pills are another risk factor for breast cancer. This is because the hormones in birth control pills can cause changes in the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body. As we have seen, these hormones play an important role in the development of breast cancer. For this reason, it’s important to be aware of the risks associated with taking birth control pills, especially if you have a family history of breast cancer.
Dieting
Another thing that can increase the risk of breast cancer is dieting while trying to lose weight. This is because dieting can cause your body to produce more of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is known for its negative effects, but it can also cause changes in the levels of estrogen and progesterone, just like pregnancy does. It’s important to know that even though dieting doesn’t necessarily mean you will become obese, the increase in stress caused by dieting does lead to extremely unhealthy changes in hormone levels that can put your body at risk of developing cancer. If you are trying to lose weight quickly by drastically limiting calories then you should consider talking to your doctor or nutritionist about how dieting impacts hormones and puts women at risk of breast cancer. This is something that most doctors aren’t aware of since there hasn’t been enough research done on the topic yet.
Family History
One of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer is having a family history of the disease. If your mother, grandmother, aunt, or sister has had breast cancer then you are more likely to develop it as well. This is because certain genes that increase the risk of breast cancer can be passed down from generation to generation. For this reason, it’s important to be aware of your family’s medical history and to see a doctor if you have any concerns about your health. Also, if your family has a history of ovarian cancer then you have an increased risk as well.
Many things can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. These include being pregnant, being obese, or drinking alcohol. Also, physical inactivity and dieting during weight loss can contribute to the development of cancer as well because they lead to changes in hormone levels. While some causes of breast cancer are unavoidable, there are many things that we can do to lower our chances of developing the disease. By being aware of these risk factors and taking steps to avoid them, we can all play a role in preventing breast cancer.
