Breast cancer risks: What people need to know

Image source: discovermagazine.com

Although Dr. Paolo Boffetta has practiced medicine for years, he has never stopped learning. Even today, he still does research, looking into reports and journals on cancer patients to add to his already vast knowledge on the subject matter. What’s more is that he unselfishly shares what he knows to readers everywhere through his series of blogs.

A good example of this can be found in today’s blog, wherein Dr. Paolo Boffetta sheds light on breast cancer risks.

Before anything, Dr. Paolo Boffetta defines the term risk factor as anything that increases the possibility of a person developing or contracting a disease. For breast cancer, there are a variety of risk factors that can be grouped in two main categories – controllable and uncontrollable.

Dr. Paolo Boffetta mentions that similar to other cancers, knowing about these risk factors and regularly checking them may be helpful. He also notes that the presence of one or more of these factors does not necessarily lead to the development of cancer.

Image source: cancercenter.com


Three of the most common risk factors associated with breast cancer are lifestyle, genetics, and age. For lifestyle, women who are overweight and obese, who do not lead healthy and fit lifestyles, have been found to have an increased risk of a number of diseases, including breast cancer. For genetics, Dr. Paolo Boffetta explains that as many as 1 out of every 10 women with breast cancer have family members, especially close one with breast cancer as well. For age, the development of breast cancer increases as one gets older, which is why Dr. Paolo Boffetta recommends regular screening for women over 45.

Dr. Paolo Boffetta studied medicine at the University of Turin, where he was also a resident at the Second Division of Internal Medicine. He also became a research fellow and research assistant at the university's Cancer Epidemiology Unit. To read more on epidemiology, visit this website.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cancer risk factors: Smokeless tobacco

Image
Aside from smoking tobacco, it can be consumed by chewing, dipping, spitting, or snuffing it. Some people assume that switching from smokeless tobacco reduces their risk of falling ill due to tobacco consumption. The truth is, there is no safe kind of tobacco. The two main types of smokeless tobacco are chewing tobacco and snuff, Dr. Paolo Boffetta shares. Available as loose leaves, plugs (or bricks), or as twists of rope, chewing tobacco is placed in between one’s cheek and lower lip, usually near the back of the mouth. Either kept in its place or chewed, one’s saliva can be swallowed or spit. Snuff is powdered or thinly cut tobacco that can be bought in various flavors and scents. Establishing that there is no safe form of tobacco, studies have found in smokeless tobacco at least 28 chemicals that cause cancer. Tobacco-specific nitrosamines－those that are formed during the growing, curing, fermenting, and aging of tobacco－are the most harmful chemicals in smokeless tobacco
Read more

How does consuming alcohol put the body at risk of developing cancer?

Image
  Lifestyle habits and environmental factors can affect a person's cancer risk. Dr. Paolo Boffetta is an epidemiologist and one of the leading researchers on cancer and other chronic diseases. He has contributed to understanding the role of occupation, environment, alcohol, smoking, and nutrition in disease development. This blog post discusses the link between cancer and alcohol consumption. Image source: Unsplash.com Drinking alcohol can cause cellular damage due to oxidative stress leading to reactive oxygen species in the cells. Alcohol also turns into acetaldehyde inside the body, which can cause damage to the DNA cells. While many are familiar that alcohol can inflame and scar the liver, many people don't know that these can alter the liver cells. Those who are considered heavy drinkers are five times more at risk than casual drinkers. They can develop mouth, throat, and esophageal cancers as alcohol can damage tissues in these parts of the body. For those w
Read more

What are the harmful toxins found in cigarettes?

Image
Countless people risk their lives every day by smoking cigarettes. Numerous studies have already made conclusive findings showing cigarette smoking causes several types of cancer, as well as a plethora of lifestyle illnesses. Dr. Paolo Boffetta explains that one only needs to see the contents of a cigarette to know that it's a deadly habit. Here are some harmful toxins that you can find in a cigarette. Image source: independent.co.uk Nicotine : Nicotine is the stuff people go for when smoking. It's what gets people addicted to smoking in the first place. It can cause an increase in blood pressure, abnormal heart rate, hardening of arterial walls, and can eventually lead to heart attacks. It is also widely used as a form of insecticide. Arsenic : Ingesting large amounts of arsenic can lead to severe symptoms such as vomiting, damage to the nervous system, and even death. It's such a potent poison. It is often used as the active ingredient for rat poison. Formalde
Read more