- Breast cancer surgeons shared two things they would never do to lower their risk of disease.
- Rachel O’Connell does her monthly breast self-examination and doesn’t drink alcohol on weekdays.
- She said it puts people at the highest risk because genetics and being a woman can’t be changed.
a breast cancer The surgeon shared two things she avoids to lower her risk of illness.
Rachel O’Connell, an oncoplastic breast surgeon at Britain’s Royal Marsden Hospital, told Insider that factors that cannot be changed, such as age and being female, often put people at the highest risk of the disease. rice field.
However, lifestyle choices can produce “progressive gains” that reduce risk. breast cancer It also improves general health, she said.
Ann estimated 264,000 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2,400 women and 2,400 men are diagnosed each year in the United States.
Here’s what O’Connell never does to lower her breast cancer risk.
1. Miss the chest check
O’Connell said catching breast cancer early means “less treatment is needed.”
At 44, O’Connell is too young for this. sieving In the UK, people between the ages of 50 and 71 have their breasts checked once a month.
in the United States, CDC Women aged 50 to 74 who are at “average” risk of breast cancer are recommended to have a mammogram every two years. This increases the chances of finding it in its early stages when it may be treatable. healed,” according to the National Cancer Institute.
She said she doesn’t have a specific method for examining her breasts, but she said it’s important to get used to them and have a routine.
breast cancer signs O’Connell focuses on skin dimples, nipple discharge, and lumps.
2. Drink alcohol from Sunday to Thursday
O’Connell is alcohol Because it helps her drink less overall.
“It can be difficult to keep your alcohol intake in check, so what I’m saying about alcohol is that you might end up having a glass of wine in the evening, so be precise about what you do and don’t do.” “It’s probably not a good idea to have two glasses of wine in the evening, and two or three glasses of wine every night,” O’Connell said.
According to the CDC, a study found that alcohol The more a woman drinks, the higher her risk of breast cancer.
“I don’t think you can’t drink. Things should be in moderation,” she said.
O’Connell tries to ‘do everything in moderation’
O’Connell said she takes a “everything in moderation” approach to life, including physical activity and diet, to protect general health rather than specifically lower her breast cancer risk. For example, she tries to eat “not too expensive”. saturated fat By eating red meat once a week.
“Most of the exercise I try to do is go swimming with my 4-year-old son. When I go for walks, I try to walk at a pace that gets my heart rate up,” said the operating room.
According to the CDCbeing overweight and inactive increases breast risk cancer — and 12 types of cancer in postmenopausal women. but, not everyone Breast cancer has risk factors, and not everyone at risk will develop the disease.
“For the most part, I always reassure my patients that they haven’t done anything wrong to cause breast cancer.
