Breast Cancer: Coping With the Fear

For many women, breast cancer is one of their worst fears. There's no doubt that it is a scary disease. But most women overestimate their risk of getting breast cancer. Experts say that women alive now have about a 13 percent risk of getting breast cancer at some time in their lives. Here are some things that may help put the risk in context:

• This is a woman's lifetime risk, meaning it's spread throughout your life. Most cases of breast cancer occur in women older than 60.
• Another way to state this is that about 1 out of 8 women will get breast cancer sometime during her life. That means that 7 out of 8 women won't ever get breast cancer.
• About 41,000 women die each year of breast cancer. More than 330,000 women die each year of heart disease.

These numbers only give a general idea of breast cancer risk. Your personal risk will depend on many factors. The key to coping with a fear of breast cancer is knowing what puts you at risk and then taking steps to lower your risk.

 Understand your risks
Just being a woman puts you at risk for breast cancer. (Men can get it, too, but it's rare.) Some things that put you at risk are not in your control. These include:

• Age. The risk of breast cancer increases as you get older.
• A family history of breast cancer, especially in a mother, sister or daughter.
• A personal history of breast cancer. Having it in one breast means you're more likely to get it in the other breast.
• Starting your period before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55.
• Having dense breasts. Your doctor can tell you if your breasts are dense.

You may be able to control some things that increase your risk for breast cancer. Things that increase your risk include:

• Not having children or having your first child after age 30.
• Taking hormones after menopause.
• Being overweight after menopause.
• Not being physically active.
• Drinking alcohol. The more you drink, the higher your risk.

Take steps to lower your risk
There's no way to guarantee that you won't get breast cancer. But certain health practices have been shown to lower the risk of cancer. You don't have to be perfect. Even making a few of these changes could help reduce your breast cancer risk.

• Don't smoke. This is the number one thing you can do to improve your health and lower your cancer risk.
• Stay at a healthy weight for your height. Try to avoid weight gain, especially around your waist.
• Get 30 minutes of physical activity every day. Walking, swimming and riding a bike are good choices. But housework, yard work and gardening count, too. Just try to move more. But always check with your doctor before you increase your activity level.
• Make healthy food choices. Eat plenty of high-fiber, plant-based foods such as whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Limit red meat, saturated fat and salt.
• If you drink, limit alcohol to no more than one drink a day.
• Get regular breast exams. Talk to your doctor about your risk for breast cancer and your personal feelings about screening for this disease. Your doctor can recommend at what age you should start having mammograms and how often you should have them.

If you're at high risk for breast cancer, talk to your doctor about your choices. You may be able to take medicines or have surgery to lower your breast cancer risk. Your doctor can help you decide if genetic testing is right for you.