The director, of Tata Memorial Centre (Cancer Research Centre), Parel, specialized in prevention and management of breast cancer, in an interview with HT, talks about preventive measures and what increases your risk for breast cancer.

Prevention

  • Keeping weight in check - A woman increases her risk of breast cancer by 12% for every 4 Kgs that she is overweight.

    breast feeding

  • Having a child within the right age - For every year after the age of 25 that a woman delays pregnancy she increases her chances of breast cancer by 18%!
  • Breast feeding - Breast feeding actually keeps you safe from breast cancer, in fact for every additional month that the woman breast feeds she reduces her chances of breast cancer by 12-13%.
  • Regular checkups - Every woman must also have regular self – examination, or doctor physical examinations or even regular mammography tests conducted so that she can detect the presence of any abnormality early.

He also suggests physical examinations are better as they are inexpensive and seem to have a higher detection percentage as compared to expansive mammography tests.

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