healthy you
BREAST HEALTH
T h e T e e n s a n d T w e n t ie s
WHAT’S GOING ON T h is is a time of
continuous change. You may have
aches and pains that a i l a normal
part of breast development. “Breast
cancer is rare in young women,”
emphasizes Dr. Marisa Weiss, founder
of the Web site
breastcancer.org.
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR A rash on
the breasts, swelling, or tenderness can
signal infection. A discharge also can
mean infection or can be a side effect
of birth control pills or antidepres-
sants. H air around nipples is normal,
but if the root gets infected, red bumps
known as folliculitis may appear.
HEALTHY TIPS
■ Start breast self-exams (see “The
Real Focus of Self-Exams,”
p a g e 237
,
for more on this topic).
■ Get moving. Young women who
average 3.25 hours of running or 13
hours of walking a month reduce
their risk of breast cancer before
menopause by 23 percent.
■ Swap junk food for a nutritious
diet loaded with fruits and
vegetables—known cancer fighters.
■ Avoid cigarettes. Smoking damages
collagen and elastin in both skin and
breast tissue, causing your breasts to
sag m uch earlier. It also increases
your breast cancer risk.
■ If you’re contemplating breast
enhancement surgery, don’t rush it.
Your breasts may not have reached
their full shape or size until your
m id-20s, so you want to see what
nature has given you first, says Weiss.
Implants can also make mammograms
more difficult to read.
T h e T h i r t i e s
WHAT’S GOING ON You may see some
drooping now, but it shouldn’t be
anything major. W hile breasts don’t
have muscle tissue they do get
support from ligaments. Gravity,
weight, and excessive bouncing all
contribute to the elongating of these
ligaments. Pregnancy creates whole
new changes. “During pregnancy it’s
normal for breasts to increase to
three times their normal size,” says
Dr. Katherine Lee, a breast specialist
at the Cleveland C linic’s Breast
Center. From age 35 on, breasts may
become smaller as shrinkage of the
m ilk glands occurs.
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR Tf you have
a family history of breast cancer, talk
to your doctor about genetic testing.
Most inherited forms are associated
with abnormalities in two genes
(B R C A 1 and B R CA 2) which account
for five to 10 percent of all breast
cancer cases. If you take birth control
pills, discuss their use with your
doctor. W omen with inherited
mutations of the breast cancer gene
B R C A 1 have a 20 percent higher risk
of breast cancer if they take birth
control pills. Those with the B R C A 2
mutation don’t share this risk.
HEALTHY TIPS
■ Talk to your doctor about screening
mammography if your mother or
sister has had breast cancer. You
should have your first mammography
1 0
years before their diagnosis.
■ Breastfeeding is good for babies, and
it reduces your risk of breast cancer.
■ Activities that strengthen your chest
and core, such as most forms of yoga,
help keep breasts looking youthful.
■ W ear a jog bra during exercise. A
British study showed that it increases
comfort and decreases the chances of
premature sagging.
A D V A N C E M E N T S IN B R E A S T
C A N C E R R E S E A R C H
W ithin the last year:
■ The bone-cancer drug
Zom cta is found helpful in
keeping early-stage breast
cancer from recurring in
premenopausal women.
■ The drug Herceptin,
combined with two chemo
drugs, is found to increase
the survival rates of
women with the type of
breast cancer known as
HER2-positive.
■ For breast cancer
survivors, treatment with
the drug Femara appeal's
ES AND GARDENS
to reduce the risk of breast
cancer returning or
spreading, even up to
seven years after patients
stop taking the usual five
years of treatment with
the cancer-prevention
drug Tamoxifen.
PH O TO S: (T O P . IN SEQ UENCE) VEER, KATHRYN G AM BLE. GETTY, VEER; (B O T T O M ) KATHRYN GAM BLE
