Breast Breast HealthHealth

Guysborough Antigonish Strait

Health Authority

With support from:• Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Atlantic

Chapter• Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre, Mount Sinai

Hospital, Toronto• Canadian Cancer Society

ReducingReducingbreast cancer breast cancer

riskrisk

Healthy Healthy ChoicesChoices

In this program you will learn:In this program you will learn:

What do we mean by What do we mean by breast breast healthhealth??

What does What does riskrisk mean – and mean – and what are what are risk factorsrisk factors??

What What choiceschoices can we make can we make about our about our lifestyle that will lifestyle that will reduce our risk of reduce our risk of getting getting breast cancer?breast cancer?

What isWhat isbreast breast health?health?

Breast health Breast health is…is…

knowing your own breasts knowing your own breasts – how they look and feel– how they look and feel

visiting a health care visiting a health care professional to determine professional to determine if a breast problem needs if a breast problem needs treatmenttreatment

Breast health Breast health includes…includes…

Clinical Breast Exam Clinical Breast Exam (CBE) (CBE) once a yearonce a year

Screening Screening mammogram mammogram every yearevery year for for women aged 40-women aged 40-4949

Screening mammogram Screening mammogram every one to two yearsevery one to two years for women 50 and overfor women 50 and over

What What causes causes breast breast

cancer?cancer?

Major risk Major risk factors:factors:

Being a woman Being a woman (gender)(gender)

AgeAge

Previous breast Previous breast cancercancer

Family Family

historyhistory

Other risk Other risk factors:factors:no pregnancies or no pregnancies or

having a first pregnancy having a first pregnancy after age 30after age 30beginning to menstruate beginning to menstruate at an early age and/or at an early age and/or later than average later than average menopausemenopausehormone replacement hormone replacement therapy (HRT)therapy (HRT)unhealthy lifestyle unhealthy lifestyle choices (poor diet, lack choices (poor diet, lack of exercise) of exercise)

By the By the numbers…numbers…Canada:Canada: one woman in nine is one woman in nine is

expected to develop breast expected to develop breast cancer in her lifetime. One in 27 cancer in her lifetime. One in 27 will die of it.will die of it.Atlantic Canada:Atlantic Canada: breast cancer is breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women -- more cancer among women -- more than twice as many new cases as than twice as many new cases as lung cancer.lung cancer.Nova Scotia:Nova Scotia: from 1995 and from 1995 and 1999, 3,097 Nova Scotia women 1999, 3,097 Nova Scotia women were diagnosed with breast were diagnosed with breast cancer. 699 died of the disease.cancer. 699 died of the disease.

RiskRiskreductioreductionn

Changing our health Changing our health habits habits

MakingMaking small and lasting small and lasting changes toward changes toward breast health breast health

HealtHealthyhyEatingEating

Canada’sCanada’sGuidelines for Healthy Guidelines for Healthy

EatingEatingEnjoy a variety of foodsEnjoy a variety of foods

Emphasize cereals, breads, Emphasize cereals, breads, other grains, fruits and other grains, fruits and vegetablesvegetablesChoose lower fat dairy products, Choose lower fat dairy products, leaner meats, and foods leaner meats, and foods prepared with little or no fat prepared with little or no fat Achieve and maintain a healthy Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by enjoying regular body weight by enjoying regular physical activity and healthy physical activity and healthy eatingeatingLimit salt, alcohol and Limit salt, alcohol and caffeinecaffeine

Reducing Your Breast Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:Cancer Risk:

AlcohAlcohololDaily consumption of alcohol Daily consumption of alcohol

increases the riskincreases the riskHaving more than 3 to 4 drinks a day Having more than 3 to 4 drinks a day increases risk to one and a half increases risk to one and a half times that of those who abstaintimes that of those who abstain

Risk appears to be greater when Risk appears to be greater when the amount of alcohol consumed is the amount of alcohol consumed is greatergreater

= =

Reducing Your Breast Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:Cancer Risk:

Fat Fat IntakeIntakeSaturated fats Saturated fats

(animal fats) may (animal fats) may contribute to up contribute to up to 25% of breast to 25% of breast cancers in cancers in postmenopausal postmenopausal women.women.No consensus on whether No consensus on whether monounsaturated fats monounsaturated fats (olive, canola and peanut (olive, canola and peanut oil) offer “protection”oil) offer “protection”

Reducing Your Breast Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:Cancer Risk:

WeighWeighttPostmenopausalPostmenopausal

women who are women who are overweight have overweight have a higher risk of a higher risk of developing breast developing breast cancercancerRisk is about one Risk is about one and one-half times and one-half times that of normal that of normal weight womenweight women

Reducing Your Breast Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:Cancer Risk:

Eat lots of Eat lots of fruitsfruitsand and

vegetablesvegetables

What’s in a What’s in a serving?serving?Fruits and Fruits and

vegetablesvegetables1 serving 1 serving ==1 fresh fruit (apple, pear, 1 fresh fruit (apple, pear, plum)plum)

1 fresh vegetable (carrot, 1 fresh vegetable (carrot, green pepper)green pepper)

½ cup of juice (vegetable or ½ cup of juice (vegetable or fruit juice)fruit juice)

½ cup of cooked vegetable or ½ cup of cooked vegetable or fruit (frozen, fresh, canned)fruit (frozen, fresh, canned)

tossed saladtossed salad

Reducing Your Breast Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk:Cancer Risk:

Physical Physical ActivityActivityBreast cancer risk is about Breast cancer risk is about

one-quarter lower in physically one-quarter lower in physically active womenactive women

Women under 50, who are Women under 50, who are not overweight, appear to not overweight, appear to benefit mostbenefit most

Girls who are competitive Girls who are competitive athletes in high school athletes in high school have a lower breast cancer have a lower breast cancer risk throughout their adult risk throughout their adult lives lives

What works for What works for you?you?

60 minutes of light effort 60 minutes of light effort each day (light walking, each day (light walking, easy gardening, stretching)easy gardening, stretching)

30-60 minutes of moderate 30-60 minutes of moderate effort (brisk walking, effort (brisk walking, swimming, raking leaves)swimming, raking leaves) several times a weekseveral times a week

It’s time to “get It’s time to “get moving”!moving”!

Stress and Stress and cancercancer

No direct link to No direct link to breast cancerbreast cancer

Know your limits Know your limits and what causes and what causes stress in order to stress in order to cope more cope more effectivelyeffectively

SmokiSmokingng

Hormone Replacement Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)Therapy (HRT)

an individual an individual decisiondecision

discuss with discuss with your doctor your doctor

MythMythss

These things These things are notare not linked linked to breast cancer:to breast cancer:

deodorantsdeodorants

hair dyehair dye

underwire underwire brasbras

computerscomputers

breast breast traumatrauma

breast breast implantsimplants

Early Early DetectionDetection

Screening Screening MammogramsMammograms

Once a year for Once a year for women aged 40 women aged 40 to 49 yearsto 49 years

Every one to Every one to two years for two years for women aged women aged 50 years and 50 years and overover

Mammogram: What to Mammogram: What to expect…expect…

Special equipment will be Special equipment will be used to compress your used to compress your breastbreastX-rays will be taken of each X-rays will be taken of each breast from top, bottom and breast from top, bottom and sidessidesResults will be sent to Results will be sent to your doctor your doctor

Clinical Breast Clinical Breast Examinations (CBE)Examinations (CBE)

By a healthcare By a healthcare professional at professional at your annual your annual physical, physical, ORORAt a well At a well woman clinicwoman clinic

Tip: Have a CBE Tip: Have a CBE when you have your when you have your annual Pap test annual Pap test

Breast self Breast self examination (BSE)examination (BSE)

Not a proven Not a proven screening screening methodmethodLearn the pros Learn the pros and cons before and cons before you choose to do you choose to do ititLearn the proper Learn the proper way to do it way to do it

Reducing breast Reducing breast cancer risk:cancer risk:Healthy Healthy

dietdietPhysical Physical

activityactivityWeight Weight managementmanagement Screening mammography Screening mammography

– every year (age 40-49); – every year (age 40-49); every one or two years every one or two years (age 50 and up)(age 50 and up)Clinical breast examination Clinical breast examination (CBE) –once a year (CBE) –once a year

Breast self examination Breast self examination (BSE) – personal choice(BSE) – personal choice

CongratulatCongratulations!ions!You have become aYou have become a

breast healthbreast health

ambassador!ambassador!