How to Prevent Breast Cancer in Your 30s

By Vera Viner

Our latest edition on breast cancer prevention brings us to learning how women in their 30s can best protect themselves from contracting this disease. Breast cancer can strike a woman at any age and those that are younger actually have a higher risk of death from a breast tumor. Often, this condition can be more severe in younger women. Unhealthy lifestyles may be a major reason behind some of these breast cancer risks. As much as one in eight cases of breast cancer is detected in women under 45 years of age.

Be Aware of Your Family History

Discuss with your mother and aunts whether breast cancer or any other diseases run in your family. If two or more family members have had either ovarian or breast cancer, you may be at a higher risk for these conditions. Also, if a close family member such as a mother, daughter, or sister is diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk will nearly double.

You may also want to speak with your practitioner to see if taking a genetic test could be helpful for you.

Have a Clinical Breast Exam Conducted

If you are at a higher risk, you may want to consider early screening. Talk with your doctor to see if mammography earlier in life could help detect the disease early enough to save your life. Additionally, it is important to see your primary care doctor or gynecologist at least every two years and have him or her conduct a clinical breast exam as part of your regular check-up.

Keep Exercising!

If you take part in power walking for as little as 20 minutes per day, you will significantly reduce your risk of breast cancer and various other diseases. Taking part in workouts, especially aerobic physical activities, will help you stay healthy and keep cancer at bay.

One beneficial workout for women in their 30s is an interval fitness regime. Try warming up with five minutes of walking. Now run quickly for 30 seconds. Then walk or jog for 90 seconds. Repeat this 10 times. It is also incredibly important to use weights and take part in strength training to keep your muscles and bones strong and decrease your risk of osteoporosis in the future.

Keep Your Alcohol Intake Low

Alcohol consumption increases your risk of breast cancer. If your career or your family is putting stress on your life, there are ways to reduce stress. Meditation, Yoga, writing in a journal, going for a walk to cool off are all better than drinking too much. Keep your alcohol intake low (less than one a day!) in order to stay happy and healthy.

Talk to Your Doctor about Birth Control

If you take oral contraceptives, your risk of breast cancer increases with every year you are on the pill. For instance, if your genetic risk of the disease is high, you may want to speak with your doctor about taking another form of birth control. If you have a family and are no longer looking to have more children, you may also want to discuss with your husband the potential of a vasectomy.

If you follow these tips, your risk of breast cancer will be lower throughout your 30s and you will live a much healthier life.

If you’d like to receive more information about breast cancer and what the Breast Health and Healing Foundation is doing to battle the disease, please sign up for our newsletter. You can sign up here: http://breasthealthandhealing.org/im-in/.