Many women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer have done everything right: they maintain a healthy weight, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and get regular exercise. But even if you take all the recommended steps to care for your body, there are still many factors out of your control that can affect your survival chances once you develop breast cancer. Knowing what these factors are will help you understand your risk level and give you an idea of how much time you may have left before things take a turn for the worse. Here are five ways to increase your survival chances if you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer.
1. Know your risk factors
If you know your risk factors for breast cancer and stay on top of screening, treatments, and medicines as needed then your survival chances will increase. With some knowledge and care, breast cancer can be treated and overcome.
2. Get it checked early
Getting it checked early is important since some symptoms are easily mistaken for the flu. If you find a lump in your breast and are having trouble figuring out whether or not it’s cancerous, get it checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. A mammogram can help detect cancer before any other symptoms manifest themselves.
Sometimes surgery is necessary and the tumor will be removed along with any surrounding tissue that has been damaged by cancer cells.
3. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and low in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat
As a person with breast cancer, you must take care of your diet. Studies have shown that people who eat a diet rich in antioxidants and low in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat have better survival chances than those who don’t. Avoid processed meats or any high-fat foods and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. Get enough sleep as well–research has shown this also helps with survival chances.
One of the best ways to survive breast cancer is through regular exercise. Women who exercise regularly have been shown to have a lower risk of contracting cancer as well as living longer. Regular exercise has also been found to prevent type 2 diabetes, which can affect your treatment and recovery after the surgery.
Work with your doctor about the specific exercises that are recommended for you and follow any guidelines for exercising and recovering from surgery for it to be beneficial.
5. Avoid alcohol and smoking
Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Smoking damages DNA in a way that increases the risk of breast cancer. Alcohol also negatively impacts cells, particularly reproductive cells such as those found in the breasts. Additionally, both alcohol and smoking are major contributors to obesity – the number one preventable cause of breast cancer.
To combat fatigue, drink plenty of fluids and get enough rest when taking your medicine so you don’t have too much to handle at once.
