Today is the final day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in this week’s blog, we want to end the month by highlighting the key things that women should know about this disease, which are: the signs and symptoms, risk factors, prevention and the screening process.

The Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of breast cancer can be identified by carrying out regular breast self-examinations. These should be done at least once a month. The aim of the self-examination is to do a visual and physical inspection of your breasts. You can do the visual part in front of a mirror and you should look out for changes in the size, shape and texture of your breasts as well as changes to your nipples (inverted nipple or a discharge).

Once you’ve carried out a visual examination, the next step is to do a physical one where you use the palm of your hands to feel both breasts and your armpit area for any lumps.

If you notice any of the symptoms of breast cancer visit your GP or doctor as soon as possible. It may not be breast cancer but it is best to rule it out.

You can find out more about how to do a breast self-examination in the video below.

The Risk Factors

The two main factors that increase a person’s risk of developing breast cancer are age and family history.

Age: As we get older our risk of developing breast cancer increases. The majority of breast cancers (80%) occur in women who are aged 50 and over.

Family History/Genetics: 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary. If you have one first-degree relative with breast cancer, this doubles your risk of developing breast cancer, and if you have two first-degree relatives with breast cancer, this triples your risk.

If you have a family history of breast cancer, visit your doctor to discuss your risk and for more information about hereditary cancer please read our recent blog post.

Other factors that have been shown to increase a person’s risk of developing breast cancer include: being overweight or obese; alcohol consumption, hormone replacement therapy; smoking; and oestrogen and progesterone contraceptives.

Breast Cancer Prevention

To reduce your risk of developing breast cancer you should adopt a healthy lifestyle. In particular, you should: limit your alcohol intake, stop smoking, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables but low in animal fat; and if you have the choice, breastfeed.

Breast Cancer Screening

In the UK all women between the ages of 50 and 70 are invited for breast screening every 3 years as part of the national breast screening programme. Women over the age of 70 can still be screened, you’ll have to contact your local breast screening unit to organise this. In England, the breast screening age is being extended to all women between the ages of 47 and 73.

Breast screening involves having an x-ray of each breast (this is a mammogram) which allows a clear image of the inside of the breast to be developed. This technique is capable of detecting breast cancer at an early stage, much earlier than a breast self-examination.

To find out more about the NHS Breast Screening Programme please visit their website

Now that Breast Cancer Awareness Month has come to an end, remember to remain breast aware throughout the year.

We get a lot of questions from women about what they can do prevent fibroids. In this week’s blog, we’ll look at the effect of exercise on the development fibroids.

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumours that develop in or around a woman’s womb. They can cause a number of symptoms including pelvic (tummy) pain, infertility, heavy and/or painful periods, back pain, anaemia, constipation, frequent urination and pain during sexual intercourse.

The exact cause of fibroids is unknown but research does suggest that fibroids are caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and hormonal factors. Those most at risk of developing fibroids are black women, those who are overweight, women of childbearing age (particularly women who are 25-45 years old), those with a family history of fibroids and women who haven’t given birth.

Exercise and Risk Reduction

When looking at these factors and trying to understand what preventative steps women can take, exercise seems like a logical factor to explore for two main reasons. Firstly, being overweight increases risk of developing fibroids so a woman can reduce her risk by maintaining a healthy weight through exercise. Secondly, fibroids are a hormonal condition with oestrogen and progesterone playing a role in their development. When we look at similar hormonal conditions that have been widely studied, such as breast and endometrial cancer, exercise has been shown to be beneficial in reducing risk. This is thought to be because exercise has a number of effects on our hormones which ultimately can lead to a reduction in the level of hormones circulating in our body and balancing of our hormones.

What Research Tells Us

A recent small study published in 2013 by Peking University in China looked into the association between physical activity and fibroids. They found that women who participated in moderately intense occupational activity (physical activity at work) had a significantly lower risk of developing fibroids.

In 2006, The National Institute of Environmental Sciences in Washington DC published the results of their research study exploring the effect of exercise on the development of fibroids. This study included 1189 women (734 black women, 455 Whites) aged 35-49. Whilst their study did have some limitations they found that women who did the most physical activity (more than 7 hours a week) were significantly less likely to develop fibroids than those who did the least amount of exercise (less than 2 hours a week). They also found that the association between exercise and fibroids was similar for both black and white women.

Finally, in 1986, the Harvard School of Public Health published their study which compared the prevalence of fibroids in former college athletes (2,622 women) to non-athletes (2,776 women). They found that the non-athletes were at a 40% greater risk of developing fibroids than their athletic counterparts.

Conclusion

Research and theory demonstrate that regular exercise is an effective way to reduce your risk of developing fibroids. By introducing as much exercise as you can into your weekly routine you can make a significant difference to your risk.

The UK’s Department of Health recommends that we do a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise per week; this is a good target to aim for.