Did you know that living a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy and exercising regularly goes beyond the immediate results. Lack of physical activity and lack of a healthy diet can increase your risk of breast cancer. You might think your chances of getting cancer are low, but fact is 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. That number was shocking to me. I thought of all the women I know and according to that statistic, how many might get breast cancer.
There is good and bad news. Bad news some things you can't change. You can't change that your risk is much higher for having cancer if you have had family members diagnosed with cancer. You also can't change that women are 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer than men. The good news is we know those facts and can take preventative measures like regular screening for breast cancer and other cancers that we might be at high risk for. Ask your doctor and family members about family health history and preventative measures you can take.
Personally, I get screened for thyroid cancer yearly. Both of my grandparents (my dads parents) are survivors of thyroid cancer. This increases my risk for it. Although every year its scary waiting to hear back from my lab results, I know I am better off to find out now, rather than 20 years from now when I start showing the symptoms of it. Then it might be too late. Know your family health history, know the facts and share them, and take all preventative measures you can. It might just save your life.
For more information on breast cancer and other types of cancer visit:
http://www.cancer.gov/ and http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/