Transcript Breast Health Program

Guysborough Antigonish Strait
Health Authority
Breast Health
With support from:
• Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Atlantic Chapter
• Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
• Canadian Cancer Society
Reducing
breast cancer risk
Healthy Choices
In this program you will learn:
What do we mean by breast health?
What does risk mean – and what are
risk factors?
What choices can we make about our
lifestyle that will reduce our risk of
getting breast cancer?
What is
breast health?
Breast health is…
knowing your own breasts – how
they look and feel
visiting a health care professional
to determine if a breast problem
needs treatment
Breast health includes…
Clinical Breast Exam (CBE)
once a year
Screening mammogram
every year for women
aged 40-49
Screening mammogram every
one to two years for women 50
and over
What causes
breast cancer?
Major risk factors:
Being a woman (gender)
Age
Previous breast cancer
Family history
Other risk factors:
no pregnancies or having a first
pregnancy after age 30
beginning to menstruate at an
early age and/or later than
average menopause
hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
unhealthy lifestyle choices (poor
diet, lack of exercise)
By the numbers…
Canada: one woman in nine is expected to
develop breast cancer in her lifetime. One
in 27 will die of it.
Atlantic Canada: breast cancer is the most
frequently diagnosed cancer among women
-- more than twice as many new cases as
lung cancer.
Nova Scotia: from 1995 and 1999, 3,097
Nova Scotia women were diagnosed with
breast cancer. 699 died of the disease.
Risk
reduction
Changing our health habits
Making
small and lasting changes
toward breast health
Healthy
Eating
Canada’s
Guidelines for Healthy Eating
Enjoy a variety of foods
Emphasize cereals, breads, other grains,
fruits and vegetables
Choose lower fat dairy products, leaner
meats, and foods prepared with little or no
fat
Achieve and maintain a healthy body
weight by enjoying regular physical
activity and healthy eating
Limit salt, alcohol and caffeine
Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:
Alcohol
Daily consumption of alcohol increases the risk
Having more than 3 to 4 drinks a day increases
risk to one and a half times that of those who
abstain
Risk appears to be greater when the amount
of alcohol consumed is greater
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Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:
Fat Intake
Saturated fats (animal
fats) may contribute to
up to 25% of breast
cancers in
postmenopausal
women.
No consensus on whether
monounsaturated fats (olive, canola
and peanut oil) offer “protection”
Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:
Weight
Postmenopausal women
who are overweight
have a higher risk of
developing breast cancer
Risk is about one and
one-half times that of
normal weight women
Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:
Eat lots of fruits
and vegetables
What’s in a serving?
Fruits and vegetables
1 serving =
1 fresh fruit (apple, pear, plum)
1 fresh vegetable (carrot, green pepper)
½ cup of juice (vegetable or fruit juice)
½ cup of cooked vegetable or fruit
(frozen, fresh, canned)
tossed salad
Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:
Physical Activity
Breast cancer risk is about one-quarter
lower in physically active women
Women under 50, who are not
overweight, appear to benefit most
Girls who are competitive athletes
in high school have a lower breast
cancer risk throughout their adult
lives
What works for you?
60 minutes of light effort each day
(light walking, easy gardening,
stretching)
30-60 minutes of moderate effort
(brisk walking, swimming, raking
leaves) several times a week
It’s time to “get moving”!
Stress and cancer
No direct link to breast
cancer
Know your limits and
what causes stress in
order to cope more
effectively
Smoking
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
an individual decision
discuss with your
doctor
Myths
These things are not linked to breast
cancer:
deodorants
hair dye
underwire bras
computers
breast trauma
breast implants
Early Detection
Screening Mammograms
Once a year for
women aged 40 to 49
years
Every one to two
years for women
aged 50 years and
over
Mammogram: What to expect…
Special equipment will be used to
compress your breast
X-rays will be taken of each breast
from top, bottom and sides
Results will be sent to your
doctor
Clinical Breast Examinations
(CBE)
By a healthcare
professional at your
annual physical, OR
At a well woman
clinic
Tip: Have a CBE when you
have your annual Pap test
Breast self examination
(BSE)
Not a proven
screening method
Learn the pros and
cons before you choose
to do it
Learn the proper way
to do it
Reducing breast cancer risk:
 Healthy diet  Physical activity
 Weight management
 Screening mammography – every
year (age 40-49); every one or two
years (age 50 and up)
 Clinical breast examination (CBE)
–once a year
 Breast self examination (BSE)
– personal choice
Congratulations!
You have become a
breast health
ambassador!