Herbal Remedies Blog

How to Prevent From Breast Cancer?

As there are no known causes that produce disease, it is not possible at this time to conduct a primary prevention of it, but we are prepared for it, if introduced, early detection can be treated (secondary prevention). There are a number of aspects in this regard, it is desirable to keep in mind:

Is breast self is really useful?

Monthly breast self has been a constant in prevention programs for breast cancer but has been losing importance in women’s access to breast and gynecological journals and early detection programs. Today is payable on diagnosis of non-palpable breast cancers and this is achieved only with a study of instrumental quality. In prevention campaigns, these cases are already about 40% of diagnoses, most often it is not yet invasive tumors, with cures in almost 100% of the time.

Periodical Reviews
From 35 years, women should begin to make their annual breast checks. At this age, although some believe it is preferable to 40 years, must be made when the first mammography studies, to provide a comparative basis with the following controls. Until about 40-45 years mammography was repeated every 2 years and then annually. The review included a detailed interview and a careful inspection and palpation. Ultrasound, especially in young women, will be very useful to complete the radiological study.

Screening programs
The screening, sifting or screening, is a method to detect a disease not diagnosed or suspected. With this evidence is not intended to provide a diagnosis. People with positive or suspicious findings were referred to specialists for diagnosis and treatment if necessary. The study should be repeated every year or two years depending on the characteristics of the patients, mainly of their risk factors. Different studies carried out worldwide in the last 40 years have shown that these programs succeed in reducing the mortality of breast cancer between 30 and 40%. This reduction is more significant in women over age 45, however the study did not include women between 35 and 45 years would delay the diagnosis of more than one third of all breast cancers, and this risk can not be accepted.

Heredity and breast cancer
It is estimated that the majority of breast cancers are sporadic; the cancer appears on a family member without being repeated in this generation. But about 10% may depend on some kind of genetic hereditary factor. There are 2 known genes, called BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are associated with an increased susceptibility of 45 and 35% respectively of the disease. Alterations in another gene linked to chromosome 11 and 17, are much less frequent. In the absence of reasonable preventive measures for individuals presenting these genetic alterations, the study of the same family of patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer does not appear to be indicated for the moment, at least in a systematic way.