About two-thirds of breast cancers are hormone receptor positive. This means that the cancer growth is driven by the level of female hormones. Poor detoxification of your hormones and having an imbalance in your hormones, such as oestrogen excess, can make your risk of developing the disease higher. Other factors that contribute to an increased risk in breast cancer include: ...
- Weight gain;
- Age (more breast cancer occurs in women over 50 years and the risk increases in later years);
- Strong family history of breast cancer;
- Beginning menstruation younger than 12 years;
- Late child bearing or no child bearing;
- Regular alcohol intake;
- Poor oestrogen metabolism;
- Personal history of benign breast disease;
- High fat / low fibre diet;
- Lack of exercise; and,
- Race (African American and Asian women are less likely to develop the disease).
- You can read more about other risk factors on the Breast Cancer Network Australia website.
- You can use the Risk Calculator on the Cancer Australia website.
Blood tests for hormones tell some of the story, however, salivary hormone testing shows the amount of "free" hormones, or those available to do their job on a cellular level. For this reason, it’s a more accurate measure of your hormone function. Another very useful test for breast cancer risk is an oestrogen metabolites urinary test. This urine test shows how your body is processing oestrogen and gives further information for Jan to help tailor your program of care.
Some easy dietary and lifestyle changes you can put in place right now to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer or to help prevent recurrence are:
- Eat a good serving of one of the cabbage family vegies every single day (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, broccoflower, broccolini, brussels sprouts);
- Go for organic fruit and veg as much as possible to reduce your intake of chemicals;
- If you have dairy food, make it organic;
- Go for lean organic meat and poultry and organic reduced-fat dairy food to reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat;
- Eat legumes such as chick peas, lentils and beans several times a week as the fibre in these is thought to help with oestrogen metabolism;
- Avoid overly browned or charred food as the dark ‘bits’ contain compounds that are carcinogenic;
- Never use plastic of any kind in the microwave oven;
- Use a stainless steel or glass bottle for your water bottle, not plastic;
- Seek help to reduce your weight if you can’t manage it on your own; and,
- Exercise most days of the week for at least 30 to 50 minutes.
Salivary hormone testing should also be used if you are: noticing hormonal changes; going through menopause; post menopausal; feeling tired all the time; often stressed; having problems conceiving; suffering with mild depression; have a low libido; suffering with acne; or, having menstrual problems. It is amazing the changes that natural medicine can make to your state of health and mind.