Not only is February considered to be the month of love, it’s also National Cancer Prevention Month – a great time to combine the two and show yourself some love by caring for your personal health, which includes your breasts. Each year, sixty thousand women in the U.S. are diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
While it’s hard to pinpoint specific ways to prevent breast cancer, you can certainly work to reduce your risk now – and it all starts with taking care of yourself and your health.
So, how exactly can you reduce your risk? Here are a few tips:
- Do not smoke – According to a few studies, smoking has been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, especially among younger, premenopausal women. In addition, research has shown that there may be a link between very heavy second-hand smoke exposure and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
If you do not smoke currently, don’t start! And for those that do, check out the American Cancer Society and their quit smoking program.
- Watch your diet and exercise – These two are key to a healthy lifestyle overall, but also have a cancer connection. It’s imperative for individuals of all ages to stay fit and healthy by regularly exercising and eating foods like fruits and vegetables.
- Get regular breast exams – You would be surprised to hear how many women skip or put off getting their breast exam each year, but this is absolutely crucial. In fact, breast exams have come a long way as the industry as evolved from 2D to 3D mammograms, which essentially provides better precision, clarity and detail for radiologists as they review and interpret images. While getting a breast exam can be scary because of the potential outcome, it’s imperative to do so, as well as to be educated and proactive so that you can take control of your own breast health.
At iCAD, we aim to educate and empower all individuals with the information they need to make more informed decisions about their breast health.
In addition, please stay tuned to our next iNFORMED blog, where we will dive deeper into the correlation between breast density and breast cancer, as well as provide information and updates on breast density laws and what we can all do to impact regulations.
About iCAD:
iCAD is a global medical technology leader providing innovative cancer detection and therapy solutions. We work passionately to provide precise, powerful healthcare solutions expertly engineered to optimize operational efficiency, clinician confidence and patient outcomes. iCAD offers a comprehensive range of artificial intelligence and workflow solutions to support rapid and accurate detection of breast and colorectal cancers. For more information, visit www.icadmed.com or www.xoftinc.com.