Breast Cancer Prevention & Detection:
Deserves a Individualized Approach

Breast cancer is very common (1 in 8 of us with breasts); the most common cancer among American women, excluding skin cancer. Keep in mind, however, that more women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined.

American Cancer Society Recommendations for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer

This guideline applies to women at average risk for breast cancer:

  • Women ages 40 to 44 should have choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms if they wish to do so.
  • Women from ages 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
  • Women aged 55 and older can switch to mammograms every two years, or can continue yearly screening. Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live 10 more years or longer.

Know your risk: Are you "Average" or "High-Risk": You don't need to have a family history of breast cancer to be High Risk

  • Talk to your family to learn about your family health history.
  • During our annual visits, we will review your personal risk of breast cancer.
  • Since only 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary, more than 80% of breast cancer patients have little family history.
  • I strongly believe that each woman deserves to best understand her individual risk so that we may develop a personalized breast health surveillance program, whether that be annual mammograms alone, or mammogram plus breast sonogram and breast MRI done annually, but at 6-month intervals or testing for hereditary cancer mutations.
  • brightpink.org has a really well-done screening tool online at: brightpink.org.

Family History is important but not all...

  • Lifetime risk of breast cancer in general population in 12%. (Any woman with breasts and no family history.)
  • In patient with one affected first-degree relative (mom, sister, daughter...), the risk is about 2x the general population.
  • If you are of the 5-10% carrying a gene mutation for breast cancer, your lifetime risk is up to 80%: 7x that of the general population.

Risk Reduction: What can you control?
Healthy Lifestyle: Keep your body on track by committing to these healthy habits for you and your family:

  • Pregnancy-related. (Not always under our control.) Having first baby under age 30 and breast-feeding both reduce breast cancer risk.
  • Limit your fat intake. Research shows a modest decrease in invasive breast cancer in women with a low–fat diet. Fill up on cancer-fighting foods like fruits and vegetables, and eat red meat sparingly.
  • Maintain a healthy body weight. There’s a clear link between obesity and breast cancer due to the excess estrogen production in fatty tissue. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important actions you can take to reduce your risk.
  • Make exercise a part of your daily life. Regular exercise for 30 minutes or more on most days can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. Plus, it has lots of other benefits like lowering your risk for heart disease and reducing stress.
  • Cut back or give up the cocktails. There is a clear link between alcohol and breast cancer. Stay on the safe side and limit your alcohol consumption to one drink per day or eliminate it completely.
  • Don’t smoke. While there is limited research that suggests smoking cigarettes may be linked to breast and ovarian cancer, there is a direct link between tobacco use and many other cancers (cervical, head and neck, lung...)
  • Kick the can. Avoid canned foods: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a toxic chemical used in the lining of most food cans. BPA is a synthetic estrogen linked to breast cancer, reproductive problems, obesity, ADHD, immune system harm and other serious health issues. You can reduce your BPA exposure by limiting consumption of canned foods; especially canned foods that are acidic, salty or fatty, because BPA is more likely to leach from can linings into these kinds of foods.
  • Choose organic. When possible, choose organic foods and hormone-free meat and dairy. Buying products grown organically reduces pesticide use, which is good for families, farm workers and the environment. And avoid canned foods until companies replace toxic BPA-based can linings with safe alternatives.
  • Take it easy on the plastic. When choosing kitchenware and water bottles, go old-school with stainless steel and glass. And never microwave in plastic—even “microwave-safe” plastic can leach chemicals into your food when heated.
  • Choose cleaning products that don't increase your exposure to toxic chemicals. Look for products made by companies that disclose ingredients, or make your own with things like baking soda and vinegar.
  • Stick with oil for pans that don’t stick, and use elbow grease to remove stains Although there’s no denying they make our life easier, non-stick pans and stain-resistant materials can contain toxic polyfluorinated chemicals. Choose stainless steel or cast iron pots and pans, and consider skipping the stain-resistant clothes and carpets.

Early Detection is Critical to Survival

  • Early detection is a key to surviving the disease: When breast cancer is detected early, the 5-year relative survival rate is 98%, but declines to 84% for regional disease and 23% when cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
  • While early detection allows dramatic increase in survival, many women lack strong reasons for regular breast health surveillance.
  • Only 65% of woman have ever had a mammogram and only 54% of those returned for a second mammogram within 3 years.

Some of the tailored breast health plan includes:

  • tailoring mammogram interval
  • breast ultrasound
  • breast MRI
  • clinical breast exam q3-6 months
  • chemoprevention under supervision of oncologist can reduce breast cancer in high risk patient.
  • anti-cancer diet
  • regular exercise
  • smoking and alcohol cessation

Get screened

  • Let's decide together which screening tests are right for you if you are at a higher risk - either sporadic, familial or genetic.
  • Have a mammogram every year to two starting at age 40-45 if you are at average risk, annually after 50.
  • Have a clinical breast exam at least every three years starting at 20, and every year starting at 40

Know what is normal for you and see me right away if you notice:

  • Lump, hard knot or thickening
  • Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening
  • Change in the size or shape of the breast
  • Dimpling or puckering of the skin
  • Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
  • Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
  • Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
  • New pain in one spot that doesn't go away

If you find a lump or change in your breast:

Breast lumps are actually very common, especially in women who still have periods. They normally go away by the end of your period. Most lumps are not cancerous. But do not ignore a change in your breast. The best advice is to come in and let me do an exam.
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With shared decision-making, utilizing the latest in risk stratification tools, we can make informed decisions for those patients with non-familial risk of breast cancer, based on their personal health history and office genetic testing for those who qualify.

​Identifying those of you who would benefit from more intensive surveillance should increase your motivation to comply with testing and allow for early cancer detection, and most importantly: best chance for survival.