How to prevent breast cancer?

How to prevent breast cancer?

In addition to examining the breasts during physical examinations, developing a good habit of self-examination can also help detect problems earlier.

The best time to do a breast self-examination is usually 9 to 11 days after menstruation, when estrogen has the least effect on the breast and breast lumps are easier to find. Postmenopausal women can do a self-examination at a fixed time every month.

When doing self-examination, you should use the correct touch method, gently press the breast with your fingertips to check for lumps or abnormal sensations, squeeze the areola and nipple, and observe whether there is any discharge from the nipple. Be careful not to pinch or pull the breast tissue with your fingers (Reminder: It is recommended to learn the correct self-examination method from a doctor in person).

If you find any abnormalities during self-examination, such as breast lumps, nipple secretions, nipple erosion, skin depression or redness, lumps under the armpits, etc., you need to go to a breast specialist for further examination immediately!

It needs to be emphasized again that breast self-examination is very unreliable and cannot effectively increase the early detection rate of breast cancer. The main value of self-examination is to help improve women's awareness of cancer prevention. Therefore, grassroots medical workers are still encouraged to teach women how to perform breast self-examination once a month (the self-examination method must be correct).

In addition to self-examination and regular medical examinations, people should maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy weight in their daily lives. They should also develop good eating habits, quit smoking and limit alcohol intake, avoid consuming too much high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt foods, and eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other foods.

In addition, avoiding ionizing radiation as much as possible, reducing the impact of estrogen, giving priority to breastfeeding for lactating women, and refusing to abuse cosmetics containing estrogen can all help prevent breast cancer.