You might be surprised to know, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, yet over a quarter of cases are preventable?

Which is why it’s increasingly essential for people of all ages, including males, to regularly check their breasts throughout the year and know what preventative measures to undertake.

Building Greater Awareness
Dr Nyjon Eccles, known for his pioneering early detection of breast cancer using thermography and expert speaker at The Get Well Show emphasises the importance of checking your breasts throughout the year and not just during Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

“The world is becoming more aware of the huge challenge of cancer – and particularly about breast cancer. Awareness is high; the majority of women understand the need to check their breast health regularly. And yet, there are still more than 55,000 diagnoses of cancer in the UK every year, one in nine women can expect a diagnosis of breast cancer in their lifetime and the number of young women diagnosed with the disease is rising”.

Modify your diet to try to help to reduce your risk
Try to eat a “breast-friendly diet,” meaning one that is low in calories and high in fruit and non-starchy vegetables, and includes little or no processed meat. According to Breast Cancer UK: “One example of a healthy diet is the Mediterranean diet; numerous studies have shown this can reduce breast cancer risk. Any healthy diet should also include a varied selection of foods, that are as natural as possible, which provide the right amount of energy and nutrients.”

Be Active
Everyone should do their best to incorporate physical activity into their routines, as it can help lower the risk of heart disease, the leading killer of women, as well as that of breast cancer. Studies have shown that compared to inactive women, for those who engage in moderate-to high-intensity activity for 30 to 60 minutes a day, reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by 20 per cent to 80 per cent.

Make little lifestyle changes
Although the causes of breast cancer are not directly known, factors such as smoking and vitamin D intake have been shown to increase your risk. It’s estimated that your risk of breast cancer from smoking is higher if you started smoking early and you have not reached the menopause. Also having children under 30 reduces your risk of breast cancer and breastfeeding your child gives you some protection against breast cancer.

Know the symptoms to look for

These include:

• A new lump or thickening in your breast or armpit
• Change in size, shape or feel of your breast
• Skin changes in the breast such as puckering, dimpling, a rash or redness of the skin
• Fluid leaking from the nipple in a woman who isn’t pregnant or breastfeeding
• Changes in the position of the nipple

Breast pain
Ultimately anyone who develops breast cancer would never be blamed for getting the disease; even the most conscientious people who use preventive measures can still get cancer. Yet, there’s no harm in incorporating as many healthy lifestyle factors as possible.

Get the chance to speak to trusted experts like Dr. Nyjon Eccles face to face. Join him, and many others, at The Get Well Show, the first of its kind to bring together the leading minds in alternative medicine to talk, teach and show their successes with chronic illnesses.

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