Breast cancer is indeed a scary topic for senior women. Without a doubt, breast cancer is something serious and can be fatal. For that reason alone, it is important for senior women to be aware of it and not just rely on secondhand information.
Just a side story and to also prove how widespread breast cancer issues are – and how people seem to be ignorant on such issues: I went to a doctor yesterday to have my lungs checked as my cough has been killing me for two straight weeks now. I was asked by the doctor to have my lungs x-rayed and I did. I came back in line after the x-ray and sat beside a 50something lady with a facemask. Take note that I was lined in a pulmonary clinic, not an oncology clinic so that should tell the lady something right? Anyway she straight away asked me what was I holding – the envelope with my lung xray in it – then without giving me enough time to answer, she plunged right in and blurted “breast cancer?!” I was stumped. My mom died of breast cancer and let’s just say that the word “cancer” is my most hated word eversince. Anyway, she didn’t know that so I just shook my head no.
Although I still believe that cancer is a very complex issue even in the medical sense of it, there appears some facts that were confirmed regarding breast cancer and I felt that it is important for every senior women to know these things since the risk of getting breast cancer increases as we age.
· There is 1 woman with breast cancer for every 8 women today and it seems that the stake is getting higher every year.
· Too much estrogen exposure causes breast cancer. The rise in breast cancer cases can be linked to estrogen treatments that were very popular back then to women undergoing uncomfortable menopausal stages until it was discovered to be a big contributing factor to breast cancer. Nowadays, very rarely did doctors suggest estrogen treatments to alleviate menopausal symptoms.
· You are more likely to have breast cancer if you didn’t give birth ever in your lifetime. This is because of estrogen accumulation. So does having menses at a very early age since estrogen is as its highest before every menstruation.
· Obese women are at a higher risk of getting breast cancer. Estrogen accumulates in fats too so even if your ovaries stopped producing estrogen, your body fat will continue supplying estrogen.
· Hard plastic or polycarbonate which is classified as number 7, mimics estrogen so basically you have to avoid that too to prevent breast cancer. Plastic classification is usually written at the bottom part of the plastic.
· High insulin exposure. Unless you are under insulin treatments, the only other source of insulin is your body. When your body overproduces insulin or your body developed an ability to resist insulin, then you’ll have too much insulin floating inside your body.
· To minimize the risk of getting breast cancer, you have to maintain your ideal weight and exercise since exercising stabilizes insulin levels.