Steps to prevent breast cancer
Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in most cities in India, and 2nd most common in the rural areas. Lack of awareness and screening make breast cancers difficult to detect. However, the following simple steps can help lower the risk of breast cancer tremendously. These are -
1. Maintain a healthy weight
Keeping a check on your weight should be an important and prolonged goal for everyone. Excessive weight can increase the risk of many different cancers, including breast cancer, especially after menopause. This will save you from radiation therapy for breast cancer and many other taxing procedures.
2. Daily exercise
Regular physical activity is no secret to good health. Women who exercise for at least 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer. Regular exercise is one of the best ways maintain a healthy weight.
3. Eat a healthy diet
A healthy diet lowers the risk of breast cancer. Add lots of fruits and vegetables to your diet and avoid alcohol. If you don’t drink, don’t feel you need to start. If you drink moderately, there’s likely no reason to stop. But, if you drink more, you should cut down or quit.
4. Don’t Smoke
One can’t emphasise enough on how harmful smoking is. It lowers the quality of life and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and at least 15 cancers — including breast cancer — it also causes smelly breath, bad teeth, and wrinkles. Now that’s motivation to stay smoke-free or work to get smoke-free.
5. Breastfeed
It is proven that Breastfeeding for a total of one year or more (combined for all children) lowers the risk of breast cancer.
6. Avoid Birth Control Pills, Particularly After Age 35 or If You Smoke
Birth control pills are both beneficial and risky. The risk increases with a woman’s growing age. While women are taking birth control pills, they have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. This risk goes away quickly, though, after stopping the pill. Pills increase the risk of stroke and heart attack s and breast cancer– particularly if a woman smokes.
7. Research your family history
Women with a strong family history of cancer can take special steps to protect themselves, so it’s important for women to know their family history. You may be at high risk of breast cancer if you have a mother or sister who developed breast or ovarian cancer (especially at an early age).

Whether you ask the best oncologist or the paediatric neurologist or any other doctor, most diseases stem from an unhealthy lifestyle. All doctors recommend healthy living and eating. Maintaining a good lifestyle is paramount for a healthy and happy life.