Addressing your breast health concerns

by Dixie Mills, MD, FACS

Despite the primary life-nourishing role of our breasts, there is a lot of confusion out there surrounding breast health and oftentimes this confusion can lead to concern and outright fear. While the human breast is miraculous, almost every woman knows of someone who has had breast cancer, so it’s understandable that many women are afraid and have questions.

One of the biggest concerns for women is how hormone therapy might affect their breasts. After the risks with combination HRT were found to outweigh its benefits, investigators discontinued that branch of the Women’s Health Initiative, and millions of women were taken off HRT or stopped on their own to protect them from heart disease, stroke and breast cancer, among other health risks. The other arm, Premarin alone was stopped more recently because of the increase in stroke risk (not breast cancer). But women understandably want to know what all of this means for them as individuals. What are the risks of breast cancer in women after taking conventional forms of HRT, such as Premarin and Prempro? Are there any risks associated with bioidentical estrogens and progesterone?

What I’ve seen in my practice as a breast specialist is that, like most things, breast health is highly personal. Women have different family histories, different lives and exposures, and there are few hard and fast rules. Even breast mammograms — once the gold standard for breast cancer prevention — are now being questioned. We do know that diet, lifestyle and stress relief play important roles in disease prevention, and these are places in our daily lives where we get to have a say. And though we still have a long way to go, we’ve made good progress and learn more every day.

From reports about hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer to the amount of broccoli you eat and the kind of bra you wear, we are given so much information — and misinformation — about maintaining breast health. I know that it can be difficult to keep it all straight. But there are many simple things we can do to help keep our breasts healthy throughout life. The articles that follow address the questions and concerns women have asked us about most concerning their breasts. I hope that you can find some answers and that we can help you on your way to reaching a healthy perspective on this sensitive topic.

Our most popular resources on breast health

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• Answers to our top five breast health concerns in menopause
  Breast health specialist Dixie Mills, MD, talks about changes in women’s breasts in menopause.
• Causes of breast cancer — the estrogen controversy
  Why is it that more women than men get breast cancer? Many find estrogen to be the easy answer, but there’s much more to the story. Read about how different kinds of estrogen affect breast tissue and what the research is showing, so you can make good choices and create better breast health.
• Breast cancer, progestins and natural progesterone — is there a link?
  Scientists agree that progesterone exerts powerful influences on breast physiology, but it has been hypothesized to both reduce risk and to increase risk of breast cancer. But that’s mostly because many mistakenly lump synthetic progestins with the kind we make in our own bodies. Learn why the difference between the two is all-important when it comes to your breasts.

 

Last Modified: 12/05/2011
Principal Author: Dixie Mills, MD, FACS