©
2008
Church & Dwight Co.
. Inc
BREAST HEALTH
healthy you
thickening of tissue in the hreast, should send you to
the doctor. A relatively rare but highly aggressive form
of breast cancer known as inflammatory breast cancer
appears as a redness or swelling that may come and go
and involve all or part of the breast. Its texture may
resemble die dimpled outside of an orange and feels
warm to the touch. The average age of diagnosis is
59, earlier than other types of breast cancer. Left
untreated, it can be fatal in a matter of months.
HEALTHY TIPS
■ A daily aspirin may reduce die risk of one common type
of breast cancer, estrogen receptor-posidve, by 16 percent.
Not everyone should take aspirin, so ask your doctor.
■ Keep an eye on the scale. The Mayo C linic reports that
women who gain 20 pounds or more increase their
breast cancer risk by 20 percent. Women who lose 20
pounds after menopause reduce dieir risk by 23 percent.
T h e S ix t i e s a n d B e y o n d
WHAT’S GOING ON Sagging continues and you may notice
your breasts beginning to flatten so that you need to be
refitted for more support in your bra. Th e chances of a
breast cancer diagnosis is highest now, because as we
grow older it’s more likely that abnormal changes w ill
take place in our cells. Since you’re now in the highest
risk group for getting a cancer diagnosis, it’s more
important than ever to watch w hat you eat. A diet high
in saturated and trans fats is a recipe for disaster since
fat stimulates the production of the hormone estrogen
needed for tumors to grow (even after the ovaries have
stopped producing it). And stay active by doing the things
you love such as gardening, cycling, or walking. It all
counts towards prevention.
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR If you experience depression,
seek treatment. New research suggests that depressed
breast cancer patients are over twice as likely to develop
post-traumatic stress disorder than nondepressed people.
HEALTHY TIPS
■ Keep going for annual mammograms. ‘W om en
sometimes say they don’t have insurance coverage, but
for those 65 and over on Medicare, mammograms are
covered on an annual basis,” says Lee.
2 3 6 OCTOBER 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
