Breast Cancer Prevention

More than 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Early detection is the key to fighting breast cancer. Below are some simple steps you can take to help prevent breast cancer.

The Basic Steps of Breast Care

• Regular breast examinations by a doctor—should be part of your regular physical and performed every three years beginning at age 20 and each year after age 40.
• Breast self-examination—beginning at age 20, women should perform breast self-examinations to be more aware of how your breasts look and feel. A Breast Center health care provider can advise you of the best method for performing breast self-examinations and provide you with educational materials. You may also view How to Do Breast Self-Exams.
• Routine Mammograms—as one of the most important tools in the early detection of breast cancer, this low-dose X-ray can reveal both harmless and cancerous growths when they are too small to be detected by you or your health care provider. The MemorialCare Breast Centers perform screening and diagnostic mammograms for thousands of women each year. To help promote accuracy, all screening mammograms are double-read—once by a radiologist, then using a computer-aided detection system.

Things you can do to help prevent
breast cancer:

• Eat low fat foods; a lot of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Exercise more than 30 minutes per day a minimum of five days a week.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• If you drink alcohol, drink no more than one alcoholic drink a day.
• If you have a newborn, breast feed your baby.

Take Steps to Prevent Breast Cancer

Learn about breast cancer risk factors and take a risk assessment:

• Breast Cancer Risk Factors
• Breast Cancer Risk Assessment