Lifestyle changes and breast cancer prevention
eat a healthy diet
A healthy diet can help your body stay strong during breast cancer treatment. Diet helps the body rebuild damaged tissue, reduce the side effects of treatment, and reduce the risk of infection.
A healthy diet includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy products, and lean, high-protein foods such as poultry, fish, legumes, and beans. It’s important to consume enough calories each day, even if you don’t want to.
Some breast cancer treatments can have side effects that make it difficult to eat enough. These side effects may include nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, dehydration, sore mouth or throat, weight gain, and changes in your sense of taste or smell.
Your doctor can help you identify strategies to treat these side effects, reduce their impact, and eat as healthily as possible despite the side effects.
Foods to avoid during breast cancer treatment include alcohol, fried or oily foods, and foods high in fat and sugar.
stay active
In the past, doctors may have advised women with breast cancer to rest and put off exercise.
However, a growing body of research suggests that rational exercise programs not only do no harm, but may actually benefit patients by reducing treatment-related fatigue, depression, and pain. Physical activity not only reduces the risk of a painful buildup of fluid in the lymph nodes called lymphedema, but it may also lower the chance of cancer coming back, known as relapse.
Breast cancer prevention
Although you can’t change certain risk factors, such as family history or age, research shows there are some lifestyle modifications you can make to reduce your risk of breast cancer, even if you’re at high risk.
Limit alcoholic beverages to less than one drink per day and do not smoke.
Control your weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of breast cancer, especially after menopause. Exercise helps maintain a healthy weight. The American Cancer Society recommends that adults do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity) each week, ideally spread out throughout the week.
Hormone therapy to reduce menopausal symptoms may increase your risk of breast cancer. Consider non-hormonal options or use the lowest dose that works for you.
Try to avoid exposure to radiation and environmental pollution. Medical imaging methods, such as computed tomography, use high doses of radiation. Although more research is needed, some studies suggest a link between breast cancer and cumulative lifetime exposure to radiation.
Reduce infection by getting such tests only when absolutely necessary.
Women who are at increased risk for breast cancer because of family history or because genetic testing reveals a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes should choose close monitoring by their health care provider and consider taking certain medications that may reduce the risk for certain high-risk women. For women who are at very high risk, preventive surgery is an option to consider.
