Smoking, Diet, and Stress

Smoking is associated with a small increase in breast cancer risk.

Diet plays an important role in your level of risk for breast cancer. Some say that 30% of all cancers can be attributed to an inadequate or unhealthy diet. Many strong opinions have been expressed on this subject, and books claiming to have "the answer" have been on the bestseller list.

The truth is, we don't yet know the answers. Several large medical studies have not been able to demonstrate a clear connection between eating high-fat foods and having a higher risk of breast cancer. Ongoing studies are attempting to clarify this issue further. We CAN say that avoiding high-fat foods is a healthy choice for many reasons: It lowers the "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins) and increases the "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins); it makes more room in your diet for healthier foods; and it helps keep your weight at a healthier level. Being overweight IS a known factor for an increased risk of breast cancer.

Stress has not been clearly associated with increased breast cancer risk. But you can say with confidence that stress stinks. It's not good for your overall health and well-being.