The Coshocton County Beacon October 17, 2018 - Page 21

THE BEACON 21
www.coshoctonbeacontoday.com
OCTOBER 17, 2018
RISK: Ways breast cancer risk might be reduced
Things you can
do that might
lower your risk
FROM PAGE 20
Medicines to lower breast cancer risk
Prescription medicines can be used to help lower
breast cancer risk in certain women at increased risk
of breast cancer. (Th is risk is usually determined with a
risk assessment tool known as the Gail Model.)
Medicines such as tamoxifen and raloxifene block
the action of estrogen in breast tissue. Tamoxifen can
be taken even if you haven’t gone through menopause,
while raloxifene is only used for women who have gone
through menopause. Other drugs, called aromatase in-
hibitors, might also be an option for women past meno-
pause. All of these medicines can also have side eff ects,
so it’s important to understand the possible benefi ts and
risks of taking one of them.
Preventive surgery for women with very high breast
cancer risk
For the small fraction of women who have a very high
risk for breast cancer, surgery to remove the breasts may
be an option. Another option might be to remove the
ovaries, which are the main source of estrogen in the
body. While surgery can lower the risk of breast cancer,
it can’t eliminate it completely, and it can come with its
own side eff ects.
Before deciding which, if any, of these options might
be right for you, talk with your health care provider to
understand your risk of breast cancer and how much
any of these approaches might lower this risk.
For women at increased breast cancer risk who don’t
want to take medicines or have surgery, another option
Contributed | metrocreativeconnection.com
is to have more frequent doctor visits and tests to look
for breast cancer. Th is is sometimes referred to as close
observation. While this approach doesn’t lower breast
cancer risk, it might help fi nd it early, when it’s likely to
be easier to treat.
• Get to and stay at a
healthy weight
• Be physically active
• Limit or avoid alcohol
• Breastfeeding for
several months
• Medicines to lower
breast cancer risk
• Preventive surgery
for women with very
high breast cancer risk
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And That’s Just The Beginning.
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and again, Spring 2018
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