Keely Goodall | Bianca Resnekov spoke to radiographer and breast screening specialist, Dr Leora Sweiden, about the risk factors for breast cancer and how to avoid a health crisis.
Breast cancer rates are on the rise with approximately one in eight women detecting it within their lifetime.
Bianca Resnekov spoke to radiographer and breast screening specialist, Dr Leora Sweiden, about the risk factors for breast cancer and how to avoid a health crisis.
According to Dr Sweiden, there are a number of risk factors both in and out of our control that contribute to breast cancer development.
Some of the most significant of these are being a woman over the age of forty, with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
External factors such as exercise, alcohol intake and using hormonal birth control or hormone replacement treatments have also been linked to getting breast cancer.
When it comes to treating it, early detection is extremely important, which is why Sweidenl recommends that every woman over the age of forty goes for an annual mammogram and ultrasound.
Breast cancer can often be asymptomatic and almost undetectable in the early stages, so screening regularly is key to making sure that the cancer does not develop to a dangerous or fatal stage.
Many people are reluctant to get mammograms as they are afraid that it will be painful or put them at increased risk due to the radiation.
However, Sweiden assured listeners that it is a quick and gentle procedure and the radiation produced by the machine is so low that it does not pose any significant risk.
Breast cancer can be extremely scary but with regular screenings and early detection, patients have excellent chances of making a fully recovery, so please don’t miss your annual check-ups.
Listen to the audio for more.
This article first appeared on CapeTalk : Health and Wellness: How to detect and prevent breast cancer
