10 Doctor’s Own Breast Cancer Tips

Limit Your Alcohol Intake and Quit Smoking

While being genetically female is the largest risk factor for breast cancer, your lifestyle plays a major role, as well. “We do have a lot of data about other risk factors, and, as a result, there are things that women (and men) can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer,” says Dr. Robert Coke, an intensive care and internal medicine practitioner at McMaster University. “We have evidence from multiple studies showing that excessive alcohol intake and smoking increase risk.” Besides lowering your risk of breast cancer, there are other tremendous benefits of ditching booze.

Skip the Sweet Stuff

Diane Kazer, a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and life coach, says that diet can play a major role both pre- and post-surgery, recommending that people at risk for breast cancer, or those who have a cancer diagnosis limit or eliminate sugar from their diet.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Dr. Coke says that keeping your weight in a healthy range can seriously reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, too. “Women with a BMI over 30 kilograms per square meter are also at an increased [breast cancer] risk.”

Stay Active While You’re Healthy

Dr. David Shafer, a double board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Shafer Plastic Surgery in New York City, says that staying active is key to reducing your risk of a breast cancer diagnosis. “With or without a family history of breast cancer, it is important to decrease your risk by reducing factors such as sedentary lifestyle.”

Limit Hormone Therapy Whenever Possible

Dr. Anne McTiernan of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center says that progesterone-based therapies used to combat menopause symptoms may increase your cancer risk. “Menopausal hormone therapy increases risk for breast cancer. If you must take hormones to manage menopausal symptoms, avoid those that contain progesterone and limit their use to three years.” Of course, you should always consult your medical professional before starting or stopping any medication.

Limit Your Radiation Exposure

Coke says that environmental radiation may increase your risk of breast cancer, and those whose jobs put them at risk, from radiology technicians to miners to pilots, should do whatever possible to limit their exposure.

Opt for the Day Shift Whenever Possible

While we can’t always choose the hours we work, Dr. Coke mentions that night shift work may put you at an increased risk for a breast cancer diagnosis. In fact, research published in the May 2012 issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that women in the Danish military who worked the night shift were as much as 40 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who didn’t burn the midnight oil.

Talk to Your Doctor Early if You Have a Family History of the Disease

“If you have a family history, then it’s important to have testing and discuss the results with your doctor to determine if monitoring or proactive preventive surgery is the best course of action,” says Dr. Shafer.

And Get Screened Regularly

Dr. Coke says that, while there are plenty of lifestyle changes you make to reduce your risk, getting regular screenings is your best option for detection. Among women with a family history of breast cancer, regular mammograms on a doctor-prescribed schedule—which may mean starting before age 40—are particularly important. “Evidence suggests that although these risk factors may not be modifiable, these women could reduce their risk of developing metastatic disease by being screened regularly,” says Dr. Coke.

Get Genetic Testing if You Can

“If you have a strong family history of breast cancer—meaning your grandmother, mother, and possibly a sister have been diagnosed before the age of 50—you should certainly talk to your doctor about whether you fit the precise medical criteria for genetic testing,”