50% of women will have breast cancer cells in their breasts by age 40-50. These are the findings on autopsy when a female dies unexpectantly in a car wreck. However, 50% of all women do not go on to have a full-blown diagnosis of breast cancer. The reason for this is that there are immune mechanisms that weed out cancer cells daily if the immune system is healthy. Also, in order for the single cells to spread they must create their own supply of blood vessels. This is a process known as angiogenesis. Many food compounds prevent angiogenesis and prevent millions of women from having this devastating condition known as breast cancer. While breast exams and mammograms are important, these aid in early detection, not prevention. Prevention is controlled by lifestyle. The World Research Cancer Fund says as much as 70% of cancer is prevented by lifestyle factors.
There are a number of lifestyle choices to help prevent cancer. Some of the most common ones are:
These lifestyle choices can help reduce your exposure to carcinogens, boost your immune system and lower inflammation 2. Of course, there are other factors that can influence your cancer risk, such as genetics, age and environmental exposures. Therefore, it is also important to get regular screenings and check-ups to detect any signs of cancer early.
