The Villages - October 2016 - 29

airdone/iStock/Thinkstock
SVproduction/iStock/Thinkstock
-slav-/iStock/Thinkstock
Betelgejze/iStock/Thinkstock
Victor_69/iStock/Thinkstock

6. Which lifestyle-related factor might increase your
risk for breast cancer?
C. Gaining substantial weight or being obese after
menopause increases your risk for breast cancer because
fatty tissues have been linked to raising estrogen levels.
"Obesity has been implicated to increase the risk of
certain kinds of breast cancers, because of the estrogen,"
Dr. Advani said. "Some estrogen is produced in the ovary
and there is some that is produced in the fatty tissue. The
estrogen can be implicative in certain forms of breast
cancer, like the hormone receptor positive breast cancer."
As for alcohol, research has shown that women who
have two to five alcoholic drinks daily have a higher risk
of breast cancer than women who have only one drink a
day or not at all, according to the ACS. Breast cancer risk
increases with the amount of alcohol consumed.
It's not clear how or why alcohol increases the risk, or
which women are most likely to be affected. But limiting
alcohol especially is important for women who have other
risk factors for breast cancer, such as family history.
7. Which statement below is a common
misconception about breast cancer?
C. There is little to no evidence to support either of these
claims. According to the ACS, a study of more than 1,500
women found no correlation between bra use and breast
cancer.
"There is not rigorous scientific data to support these
statements that have been made in the past about breast
cancer," Dr. Advani said.

8. True or False: There have been many
advancements made in treatment and screening
processes for breast cancer.
True. "We've come a really long way the last few decades
for patients to get targeted therapies, sophisticated
endocrine therapies or anti-hormone pills," Dr. Advani said.
"Surgical techniques have advanced as patients require less
invasive surgeries. There have been advances in radiation
techniques, as well. There are better guidelines on who
needs breast cancer MRIs. People are getting ultrasounds,
mammograms and breast MRIs in a timely manner. So that
has definitely improved not only the diagnostic accuracy,
but they are being diagnosed at an appropriate time."
9. True or False: You'll only get breast cancer if it
runs in your family.
False. According to the ACS, 85 percent of women who
get breast cancer have no family history of it. Although
having a family member with this disease increases your
risk, other factors can put you at risk for developing breast
cancer. "You can have sporadic forms of breast cancer. So
it's not necessarily that every breast cancer is related to a
hereditary link," Dr. Advani said.
10. True or False: Those who are treated for breast
cancer are better off keeping it to themselves
because it is a private, personal matter.
False. Breast cancer survivor groups are a valuable tool
for decreasing depression and anxiousness associated
with post-breast cancer treatment. "Oftentimes it helps
people to be with like-minded individuals that have had
similar experiences," Dr. Advani said. "It often helps in
decreasing depression, which is very common in the postbreast cancer treatment period. People do get anxious
about upcoming mammograms, their blood work or their
appointments with
their doctors. So just
being plugged in
with a group helps
with that. It's an
invaluable tool."

MAGAZINE

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - October 2016