Regular mammograms, watching weight important to minimizing breast cancer risk

By George Slaughter, News Editor
Posted 10/6/22

For women over the age of 40, a yearly mammogram is important because it helps doctors detect breast cancer at its earliest stage, a local oncology surgeon said.

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Regular mammograms, watching weight important to minimizing breast cancer risk

Posted

For women over the age of 40, a yearly mammogram is important because it helps doctors detect breast cancer at its earliest stage, a local oncology surgeon said.

Dr. Jessica Suarez Colen is an associate professor with the Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She has worked at the MD Anderson’s West Houston offices for the past 11 years. She spoke in an interview with the Katy Times before a planned speech Oct. 6 at the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce.

Colen said an early diagnosis gives doctors a better chance to treat best cancer. Early detection also means there is less of a chance that a patient might need chemotherapy or similar treatments.

“The vast majority of patients who get breast cancer have no family history of the disease,” Colen said. “Really, the most common reason is because you’re female and post-menopausal. Those are the most common reasons.”

But not all female breast cancer cases occur in women over 40, Colen said.

“There are cases where we have 20-year-olds, 30-year-olds with new diagnoses of breast cancer,” Colen said, adding that while the recommendation is for women 40 and older to have mammograms, younger women are encouraged to perform breast examination and consult with their physicians.

Breast cancer is not limited to females. Colen said men are susceptible, though not as much as women, to getting breast cancer. This is because men do not have as many of the hormones that cause the cancer.

Still, Colen said, men should be aware of changes in their chests, particularly behind the nipples.

“They can be at a significantly increased risk if they have a strong family history,” Colen said.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The designation has been in place for some years, and Colen said there’s more of an awareness in the importance of screening.

 “Because women have been getting more screening, you can pick up breast cancer cases earlier,” Colen said. “Over the past 10 years, the screening has become so good and patients are more aware. Breast Cancer Awareness Month helps people know how important it is.”

Minding one’s habits can help and improving one’s health. For example, not smoking reduces the risk of lung cancer. But for breast cancer, Colen sent people might not be aware that watching one’s liquor consumption can help or hurt a situation.

“Consuming larger amounts of alcohol is known to increase your risk for breast cancer,” Colen said. “We tell people to try to keep it to two servings at most per day for females.”

Also, after menopause, Colen said that having an increase in body weight, or a high body mass index, and not exercising, can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Patients, after receiving their treatments, will want to decrease their alcohol consumption, lose weight if they have a higher body mass index, and start exercising on a regular basis. Doing these things might be boring, but it’s good for one’s overall health, as well as reducing cancer risk, Colen said.

cancer, breast cancer