Lifestyle factors have a significant role to play in the way our physical health and well being shapes up. In case of patients with cancer, it is very important to take these factors into consideration, especially for breast cancer patients. There is always a risk of a second cancer that may return. Therefore, such lifestyle factors should be known to people.

2. Lifestyle factors have a
significant role to play in the
way our physical health and
wellbeing shapes up. In case
of patients with cancer, it is
very important to take these
factors into consideration,
especially for breast cancer
patients.
There is always a risk of a
second cancer that may
return. Therefore, such
lifestyle factors should be
known to people.

3. Women who do not have
children, or who have had
their children after 30, are at
a slightly greater risk of
second breast cancer. Having
several pregnancies or
becoming pregnant early
reduces the risk of breast
cancer significantly.
Pregnancy also reduces the
total menstrual cycle number
in a lifetime, which could be a
reason for the effect.

4. There are different types of birth control pills
available on the market, which includes the
regular oral contraceptives and other pills
like DMPA (Depot-medroxyprogesterone
acetate).
Studies have shown that females consuming
oral contraceptive pills have slightly
increased risk of getting breast cancer than
the ones who have never taken them.

5. While the risk may seem to be
get back to normal as the pills
are stopped, it may not be so in
reality. Women who have stopped
taking pills for about 10 years or
more don’t appear to have risk of
breast cancer.
DMPA, on the other hand, is an
injectable progesterone hormone
given to women once in every
three months for birth control.
According to some studies, these
shots can increase breast cancer
risk. However, the risk does not
seem to increase if the drug was
taken for over 5 years.

6. Hormone therapy is the use of
estrogen, usually in combination
with progesterone, used for
several years for relieving the
signs of menopause and prevents
thinning of bones (osteoporosis).
Previous studies have shown that
it could have many more health
benefits too, but the benefits
haven’t been found in the recent
studies.

7. This is one treatment that goes by several names
like hormone replacement therapy or HRT,
menopausal hormone therapy or MHT, and post-
menopausal therapy or PHT.
There are different types of hormone therapies for
women, of which 2 types are used commonly. For
women having their uterus (womb) intact, doctors
usually prescribe progesterone and estrogen, also
called a combined hormone therapy. It is very
important to have progesterone since estrogen
alone could increase the chance of uterine cancer.
Women who have undergone hysterectomy (uterus
removed surgically), can rely on estrogen alone. This
is called estrogen replacement therapy or ERT.

8. It has been found that
breastfeeding can reduce
the risk of second breast
cancer slightly.
However, this remains a
critical area of study,
especially in American
states, where women
hardly breastfeed for 6
months. Long-term
breastfeeding can reduce
risks dramatically.

9. Needless to say, drinking
alcohol has several side
effects. It also increases
the risk of different types
of cancers and other
diseases.
Women consuming 1
drink daily have small
amount of risk, while
others who take 2 to 4
drinks have higher.

10. One of the greatest threats
to cancer is your body
weight.
If you do not keep your
weight in control, your
chances of a second
breast cancer increase
rapidly.