"Lifestyle cancer" is bringing the danger of breast cancer closer to women. Professor Wu Chengyi from the Department of Endocrine Surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University stated that for breast health, one must eliminate unhealthy lifestyles.
Professor Wu said that breast cancer is a typical "disease of affluence."
Some unhealthy lifestyles, including consuming large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods, smoking, drinking alcohol, insufficient sleep, mental depression and excessive stress, lack of exercise, late childbirth, and not breastfeeding after giving birth, can all increase the probability of developing breast cancer.
"Developing a healthy lifestyle and sticking to it is the only way to keep lifestyle cancer away from us," Professor Wu emphasized. To prevent breast cancer, one must discard these unhealthy habits: be as lean as possible within a normal Body Mass Index (BMI), eat less high-fat, high-calorie food, consume red meat (such as pork, beef) less than 0.5 kg per week; do not smoke and avoid secondhand smoke environments; exercise regularly; maintain a pleasant mood; insist on breastfeeding; keep blood pressure and blood sugar levels within the normal range; limit the intake of salt and oil. Eat more cabbage and soy products: Cabbage contains a compound that accounts for about 1% of its weight, which helps break down estrogen. Soy products contain isoflavones, which can effectively inhibit the occurrence of breast cancer. In addition, vegetables and fruits such as corn, edible fungi, seaweed, garlic, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and berries are also beneficial.
Additionally, eat more fish: According to relevant reports, women in countries like the United States, Switzerland, Canada, and New Zealand, where fish consumption is lower, have higher rates of breast cancer, whereas in Japan, where fish consumption is higher, the incidence of breast cancer in women is lower. Experts say that fish contains a fatty acid that can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. Regularly and appropriately eating more fish is very beneficial for preventing breast cancer.
Note: When it comes to breast cancer, many women approaching or who have reached menopause believe that breast cancer is moving further away from them. "Isn't estrogen closely related to the development of breast cancer? An excessively high level of estrogen in the body and an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone increase the risk of breast cancer. My estrogen levels are now too low, so I don't need to worry about getting breast cancer anymore." Based on this idea, many menopausal and older women no longer prioritize regular breast cancer screening.
"This misconception is very dangerous." Breast cancer is actually caused by multiple factors. A high estrogen level is just one of the risk factors that can trigger it. The development of breast cancer is also related to genetics, environmental pollution, endocrine fluctuations, and the unscientific application of hormone replacement therapy. A related study from this global academic conference on breast cancer suggested that an increase in peripheral blood estrogen levels is only associated with an increased risk of hormone-dependent breast cancer, and is not correlated with the risk of other types of breast cancer. This indicates that the development of breast cancer is a complex, multi-factor process. Liao Ning stated that at the Cancer Center of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, more than half of breast cancer patients are postmenopausal women. "Therefore, menopausal and older women cannot let their guard down against breast cancer and should insist on receiving a 'ultrasound + mammogram' screening annually for early detection and diagnosis."